The Rise and Fall of Battleborne
by Tanno
Summary: A story where a renowned asassin, made into a summoner shares a lot of history with the Du Couteau family. Rate/Comment if you please. June 11th, 2012 - Announcing a slight change in rating from T to M in the following few last chapters.
1. Prologue

Prologue - The blurred memories

I awakened. I felt as if I have slept for centuries. My body has gone numb. I inhaled, feeling my lungs revitalize with the oxygen supplies reaching them. The air was warm and stale. It made me feel nauseated. I felt like I was no longer able to sense the life inside my body. I could see from it, but there was no trace of energy. It was like I was floating within it in some other life form. My vision was unstable, weak and blurry. I could only tell shapes apart. Everything was either black or white for me.

"I...I think she is coming back..." I heard a soft voice, broken into fractions, but my ears were trained to identify and decipher muffled and unclear sounds.

"Yes, yes, she is breathing a lot faster now! Call the healer!" a differently pitched, but still soft voice rushed, and then I heard heeled footsteps tapping out of the chamber in a hysterical pace. Heels? Tender voices? Women. I tried to gather some focus, in order to fully restore my vision, but no such luck. A sudden jolt of pain started gnawing inside head, as if a hungry monster of some kind was feasting on my brains. I gritted my teeth in order to sustain the pain and make it stop sooner. Even keeping my teeth gritted caused waves of pain to spread over the muscles on my face, making them instantly numb. It took some efforts from me to inhale a new portion of oxygen, as it felt like it was mercilessly cutting through the tiny pores of my nostrils.

Suddenly, a thin, red veil started to form before my eyes. Like a mist. As the seconds passed, it started pulsating and becoming thicker... Like a fog...

Mixed voices. People talking. Unknown language...

I felt an explosing throb of pain spreading through my ribcage. I half screamed the pain I experienced, gripping my sore ribs with both hands. A white flash interrupted the red curtain that was my vision. The pain retracted for a second, but only to appear in a greater magnitude and in my right knee. I hissed, feeling the insides of my mouth fill with blood. My lips were sealed shut. Blood came dripping from the corners in small, thick, dark red drops, rolling down my chin. With a new flash rendering my vision useless, my body started generating random pain spots througout my body. It wasn't just a regular sort of pain. It burned. It felt too real. I couldn't take it.

I saw an axe flying inches from my head and devastating the tree nearby.  
>I saw a massive sword swinging in the air.<br>I felt a radiating wave of heat.

I remember the crumbled ground my massacred body had fallen on I remember my face pressed tightly against its firm, dry texture.  
>I remember the sound of marching footsteps echoing below the ground.<p>

I remember the moment where everything ceased to exist...

"Well do something! She is losing blood!" I vaguely heard the familiar voice.

I could finally open my eyes. I saw two female figures leaning over me and the face of the healer staring into my blood shot eyes.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off into the realm of dreams.

"Wake up, Tanno..."

I stiffened up and opened my eyes. A red haired woman was sat on the edge of my bed. She brushed her hands together. "Are you alright?" she asked.  
>I couldn't gather the strength to speak out.<br>She understood.  
>Ashe sat on the floor of the room, next to the bed I was in and gave me a friendly wave.<p>

Katarina didn't say a word.

I was suddenly in a wave of panic. Why are Ashe and Katarina in the same room? What is going on? Are we attacked!

Why wouldn't she speak to me? Did I betray her? Did I insult her? What happened to me before I ended up in this room?

Ashe slowly lifted herself off the floor and approached Kat.  
>"I must go now. It would not be fit for a queen of Freljord to be seen spending time with her enemy. Take care of the summoner. So long." And with that, she left the room swiftly, leaving the cold breeze behind her.<p>

The look on Katarina's face changed from neutral and indifferent to worried and guilty.

I took a deep breath, while shifting my head so I can look at her.

"K...Kat..." I uttered, feeling exausted already.

She placed her arm over mine.

"Yes, summoner?"

"W...W-w...What... What happened... To me?" I was barely able to construct such a simple question.

She hung her head slightly and patted my shoulder.

"You got hurt pretty bad, you know... I did not expect to see you walk among the living after the hits you took." her voice was cold and hard.

"I...I know... But... Still... What... Ha- happened?"

"I would rather not tire you with the trivial nonsense..." she kept refusing to give me an answer.

"Kat!" I shouted and started coughing, for the action required more breath then I could provide. I was determined to express my need to find out the information, but I was distracted, by a wave of violent coughs that would not allow me to catch my breath again. Finally, the storm of coughing has calmed down and allowed me to speak.

"I need... I need to know wha- what happened..." I said in a hushed tone.

"Tanno, let us not speak of the matter now. You are in no condition to handle it." she was somewhat annoyed by my persistance. I couldn't see it clearly, but I felt it in her voice.

I nodded silently.

There was a moment of silence between us.

Her eyes, fashioned out of emeralds by the gods themselves gazed into mine. The glistening in her eyes made me confused. She was the one who rarely chose to show any sort of emotion. And now here she is, on the verge of crying.

"Kat." I said plainly.

She looked at me attentively.

"There is something you aren't telling me... I can feel it." I added.

She went silent. Her normal state when you are trying to get something out of her. But her sudden fragile behavior and mysterious silence made me insane with worry.

I heard many footsteps approaching.

"Tanno... I am so terribly sorry..." she almost whispered suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Now I was puzzled even more.

"You took up a very brave stance... And you wished to restore the smile of union to my face. You did fail. But you fought bravely. And I will never forget that."

"Stance...? Union? what on Earth are you saying to me, Katarina?" I coughed out again.

She continued, as if she didn't hear me at all: "You... You made me feel alive, summoner. You made me feel deadly and powerful again. I wish I could repay you now... But the price is too high... Rest assured that all of Noxus shall hear the tale oh your devotion to me."

I was too tired and confused to be able to say anything at this point, so I didn't bother. I just closed my eyes and tried to sort the information I recieved in my mind. It didn't make any sense. I did something good and now she is sorry and I am lying here all battered up. The footsteps were heard for a long time now. I wondered where were they coming from, or where were they headed. That was trivial to me right now, compared to the mystical words of the sinister blade.

"You were more then just a summoner appointed to lead me into battles," she started in a warm, loving tone, that was so innapropriate and strange on her. "You were also my friend, my personal spiritual guide... I... I cannot believe I am going to.. Going to..." And then her voice got cold and hard again. She held back words and hung her head again. She seemed to be in pain. When she lifted her head back up, I noticed that she bit her lower lip so hard that it started bleeding. That's never a good sign with Kat. I know it's a harmless wound, but... It means that she can't deal with something and it pisses the crap out of her.

"Thank you... I guess." I uttered out a few words, just to leave the impression of a person who is well aware of the situation they are in, even if I was not.

The door opened.

I saw Xin Zhao and Garen enter the room. They exchanged looks with Katarina and then looked over at me.

"Ah, good. You will be awake for this occasion." Garen said in a tone which I recognized as threatening.

Xin smiled and nodded. Garen gave a sign to the four summoners that were standing on the entrance, and they lifted me off the bed and carried me out of the chamber.


	2. The wilted memories

The setting sun washed over the wilderness nearby. I remember the wind whooshing past me as I sprinted down the valley. I saw her far in front of me. She was always so much faster. I gave in all of my energy to try and catch up with her, but no such luck. When I reached the bottom of the valley, she was casually sitting next to the river, stretching out, as if she was sleeping this whole time. Heavily panting, I almost buckled over and tumbled to the ground. "Phewww!" I emmitted, while pushing myself off the ground.  
>"You're getting rusty, summoner. How do you plan to have an authority over me, when you can't even beat me in a race?" she asked mockingly.<br>"My goal is not to establish authority... It's a friendship, I am going for ... You used your Shunpo! That was unfair..." I said, brushing off my knees.  
>She didn't say anything, but she did smile. I smiled back and patted her shoulder. I stood up and went to the river. I cupped my hands together, welling out some water out of it, and splashed it across my face. The refreshing, cold substance soon made me forget about how tired I was.<br>"Hey!" Katarina called out.  
>"Yeah?" I responded, looking over my shoulder. "Remember this day. It is not going to be as peaceful anymore." she said with a sad overtone.<br>"Why not?" I asked, even though I could predict her thoughts.  
>"There was a council... The Noxus high command elders had a meeting." she laid back onto the grass and stared into the crimson sky.<br>"Oh, man..." I sighed and sat down next to her. "What did they say?" I asked in anticipation.  
>"What did they say?" she repeated, waving her hands in exasperation. "The same thing they have been saying since my father's gone missing. Noxus needs to be feared. We need to teach our foes that we are not to be trifled with. We should seek revenge, we should crush all of Demacia! Pure nonsense!" she sounded irritated.<br>I shook my head in disapproval. "So what now?" I wanted to know.  
>"I don't know... Swain is anxious to begin with his plan..." she said hatefully.<br>"Wait, aren't you in the Noxus high command? Don't you get a say in the whole matter?"  
>She smiled and shook her head again. "Of course I do, but when I am the only one against it, there is really not much to be done." she sighed and closed her eyes.<br>"When are we attacking?" I asked.  
>"There will be a briefing in a few days... I will tell you as soon as I find out." she said. She seemed exausted by the mere thought of a clash with Demacia. "What are you thinking about?" I asked her. She looked at me, and then looked away again. "We are not ready to attack... It will all go to hell... And I am the one responsible..." she mumbled.<br>"It's not just about that, is it?" I probed a little.  
>She let out a pained sigh and rubbed her forehead.<br>"Actually, there is something else." she confirmed.  
>"Well? What is it?" I was curious.<br>"It is... Well... Garen." she admitted.  
>I stood up. A small smile lingered on my face.<br>"Garen? The might of Demacia?" I asked, even though I knew.  
>"Well how many Garens are there?" she asked, a little annoyed.<br>"I know, I know... The one. Still, you know that he is forbidden fruit for you, right? He is from Demacia." I reminded her, though I was sure that she knows. She raised her head slightly to look at me.  
>"Ahh... I know. It is just... The fact of him being unable to me... It is making me even more... Motivated... If you understand what I mean." she said, and her cheeks went ever so pink as she looked away.<br>"Yeah, yeah. He's hot, you're horny... I get the picture." She giggled, blushing even more, playfully punching my shoulder.  
>"You are too direct sometimes, you know..." she commented.<br>"Well, I was right, though, correct?"  
>She nodded in silence and let her head flop back onto the ground.<br>"If I led the attack on Demacia... Well... Any feelings he might have had for me... They would vanish... And be exchanged for fury and the anxiety for revenge." she said in a lower tone.  
>"I see..." I said absently.<br>It was really a troublesome issue. She was stuck between what she wanted and what her superiors wanted. Between lust and loyalty. I understood that perfectly. Her dissapointment was probably inevitable. She was in no position to stand up to Swain and cancel the attack. With both of us having nothing to say, we both remained in total silence. We were just outside, in the wilderness surrounding Noxus. I layed down next to her and we both just stared into the sky. "Noxus does look beautiful under this sunset, doesn't it?" she asked, in a need to change the topic.  
>"Sure does..." I simply agreed. After some time we walked back to the Du Couteau manor, where I was showed into my chamber and allowed to drift off into my restless dreams.<p> 


	3. Heartache by the number

I woke up in the morning. It was a habit eversince I completed my accolades in order to become an assassin. The morning sun spread it's rays across the room. I never liked sunrises. I glanced across the bedroom, trying to see where my robe is. I realized I fell asleep with my clothes on. I liked the fact that I was privileged in the Du Couteau manor. I was equal to a household member. I was allowed to enter the training grounds, the armoury, the forge, I was allowed to eat in the dining room, with the rest of the Du Couteau family, and I was allowed to enter or leave the residence as I please. I walked out of 'my' room (it was actually a guest bedroom, but Katarina told me it is considered to be my room once we became friend.) I walked down the marble hallway. Even the halls were richly decorated. There were potted plants in the corners of the aisle, while the portraits of the numerous members and ancestors of the Du Couteau family were streched over the walls. There were also sculptures that constituted an epic atmosphere within the walls.  
>Down the stairs and to the right were the massive double doors that led into the dining room. I approached them and touched the doorknob. I did not open the door. Ah, this room brought memories of many nights spent ina friendly atmosphere, surrounded by servants who would fulfill any request you would make. The Du Couteau family only had their 'official' meals in that room. When they had guests, meetings and other forms of interaction with the Noxians of high reputation, they used that grand room. The place would really light up. The servants would hurriedly walk through the massive room, offering the guests various snacks and drinks, while they wait for the main course. The sound of their chatter was so intense that it would often echo all the way to the main hall. Though, with the dissapearance of Marcus Du Couteau, the dining hall remained empty for quite a while now. His daughters refused to host a feast, since their father's absence was by no means a cause to celebrate. To the left, there was a smaller door, indicating that the room could be less important, compared to the gigantic door to the right. This is where they actually ate their food. A small room, with simple furnishing. It used to be the dining room of the servants, and now Katarina and Cassiopeia took over it, despite the glamour and the comfort of the plush dining room they had right next to this one. I entered the room, to see Katarina sat in a chair. She seemed to be absent in her own thinking.<p>

"Good morning, Kat..." I greeted her, breaking the chain of her thoughts. She slightly flinched, her hand instictively reaching for a knife, and then she recognized me, placing her hand back onto the table.

"Good morning, Tanno." she replied, seeming somewhat distant.  
>"Is there something wrong?" I asked, just in case.<br>"No, no",she shook her head, "I was just thinking over the whole meeting we are about to have today..." Oh right, the meeting that will decide the fate of Demacia...  
>"Are you even going to attend it?" I asked cautiously.<br>"My first thought was 'no', but my presence is obligatory. It will be over quickly. As soon as Swain says what is on his darn mind." she said involuntarily. Talking about the meeting was not making her too happy.  
>Suddenly, I remembered the door.<p>

Influence.  
>Feasts. Reputation.<br>Marcus Du Couteau!

"Kat!" I exclaimed, causing her to slightly twitch and reach for her blade again.

She gave me a questioning look and I sat down on a chair across her.

"Your father! He is the solution to this chaos!" I said ecstatically, feeling a wave of pride wash over me.

"My father, Tanno?" she repeated, as her face started to gain an expression of anger.

"Yes, Marcus!" I nodded my agreement.

"If this is some sort of a joke, know that I do not find it amusing at all." she added crossingly.

"No, no, listen! If we were to find your father, and bring him back here, he would be able to call off Swain's decision, correct?" I asked.

"Well... Yes... But this is nonsense! Groups of our best spies were sent to obtain any sort of information regarding his whereabouts, and they all failed to provide them." she expressed her opinion briefly.

"Kat, think about it! Your father is the only one who could be able to put a stop to the attack! And if he would do it, you would be able to... To... Well, spend time with Garen! Doesn't it sound tempting?" I tried to persuade her.

"Summoner, I shall make it very clear that if I decided to find my father, my first motive would be simply the fact that he is my father! Garen has no meaning in this story! And what you are suggesting is too much of a risk that doesn't even promise to pay off! I am not exposing Noxus to a risk of that kind!" she she said, seeming more and more upset with every word.

"Well, at least consider it!" I exclaimed.

"I considered it as soon as you brought up the name of my father! And I will not begin the search at this time! It is way too dangerous! There is a time and a place for everything in this world, summoner! And this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this! Do we understand each other?" she asked angrily, while standing up from her chair.

I got her fired up so easily. I wonder why did she go off that easily. Whenever she calls me summoner, it is a sign that she is about to get angry with me.

"Yes, we understand each other perfectly." I replied, not bothering to move.

"Very well then. Let us not speak of this matter anymore. I must prepare for the meeting. When I return, we shall discuss the tactics and the further plans of the upcoming battle. Until then, each room of this manor is at your disposal. I will meet you here afterwards. Farewell." she was short and stern. She walked out of the room, leaving me to think about the conversation we just had. That would have been a perfect solutions to all of her problems! Why would she reject it, then? I had no idea. I suppose I will have to think of something else. I left the room shortly afterwards and went to the training grounds.

This was always my favorite place in this house. I enjoyed running through the course. The surrounding nature made the feeling of marking and then executing your prey more real. Even if those were just wooden targets, I would feel an immense sensation of accomplishment whenever my blade had hit the intended part of the target. I spent an hour refreshing my skill of focusing multiple enemies at the same time, when suddenly, a new idea struck me. Katarina is headed to a meeting! She might not find my suggestion worthy of considering... But what if the other members of the council would? Then they would vote for it, leaving her to remain against it, ultimately outnumbered. Sure, she might be angry for some time, but after she would witness the glorious resolvement, it would convert into joy, and she would be able to pursue her love the way she intended it! Not bothering to gather my practice daggers, I bolted out of the training ground, into the main hall, and soon, out of the house. I did not have persmission to attend a council, as I was neither a champion, nor a strategist. I knew a person who could grant me a permission to interfere with the council. It was my Grand Master, Primarius Dehlras Kalien. I made my way to the headquarters of the assasin guild, being allowed in instantly, after the Noxian crest on my robe has been verified. The Grand Master Kalien was sat on a throne like chair in the far end of the room.

"Primarius!" I shouted, while quickly walking towards him.

He stood up from his chair and nodded, to acknowledge my presence.

"I came to you in the times of need. I would ask a favor of you, if you may grant me aid on a very sensitive matter." I explained.

"Well, speak out dear sister. I cannot read your mind." he said hurriedly.

"Indeed... I wish to propose an idea to the council of the Noxian High Command. I believe that my suggestion would turn the tide of the upcoming clash with Demacia in our favor, if executed properly. I do not have enough influence to gather my own forces and execute my plan, and I thought that Jericho Swain, the Master Tactitian may render my idea useful, and support my cause, which is to lead Noxus to the ultimate goal of victory!" I made a briefing of my plan to him.

His facial expression remained indifferent for a while. He was carefully pondering my words, thinking through what I have said. Finally, his face showed signs of comprehension and he nodded, before he went to his desk.

"Very well, Battleborne. You have completed your accolades a long time ago, and you never failed me before. I trust that your strategy could outmatch the ones they use in the council. I shall write a letter of safe conduct, that will allow you to enter the meeting area attend this meeting itself. However, do not think that this grants you the ability to act as they do. You must not show any arrogance, no signs anger or displeasement if they reject you. Rememeber, you are nothing but a humble servant to Noxus. Approach them with an open mind, and do not bind them to the details of your plan. Let them decide what is the best." he said while scribbling down something on a paper. He rolled it and handed it to me.

"Was there anything else you required?" he asked, not even looking at me, as he walked back to his throne - chair.

"No, this will suffice, Primarius. Thank you for your help. I must go now, I am already late. Farewell for now." I said.

"Very well. I wish you a safe journey. May you be forever strong." he said to me while I was walking away. Heh. Forever strong. That is what 'Noxus' really means. Clutching the piece of paper in my hand, I rushed to the meeting hall, knowing that the meeting has begun a while ago.

In front of the oval building, the entrance guards eyed me cautiously as I approached.

"You have no business here, summoner. You may leave now, or be dragged to the dungeon." one of the guards said lazily, as he most likely repeated this phrase to numerous summoners who wished to enter the facility.

Without a word, I handed the paper to him, and he nooded, moving away so I can enter. When I came in, no one seemed to notice me. The members of the High Command, and the most reputated champions of Noxus were sat around the conference table, loudly discussing something. Of course,  
>Swain had the main word.<p>

"The attack on Demacia must be swift and fierce, so they have no time to react. I have made a few plans, and I would like your approval, before we can bring them to act. I assure you, now is the time to strike. When they least expect it. The first phase of the plan would be gathering the information abo-"

"Swain!" I shouted, knowing that acting as if I am on a marketplace might as well get me in trouble. The man stopped dead in his words. His eyebrows raised slightly, before his face revealed annoyance.

"Who for the sake of void are you?" he barked, as he turned to me.

"I am Tanno Battleborne. An Assasin serving Noxus." I said calmly.

"I have a pass. I was allowed to enter." I explained, when I saw his look shoot right through me. I walked closer towards the conference table. I saw Katarina. She mouthed a very angry 'What are you doing!' so I chose to speak out.

"I have heard of the invasion on Demacia you have planned. I admire your superb tehnique, yet I see one flaw in your otherwise brilliant plan." I started my speech. Yes, it is true. Flattering opens many doors. Swain did not do anything to stop me, so I considered that a permission to go on.

"The flaw I noticed is fairly obvious to any commoner. Of course, commoners are not to be compared to glorious strategists and leaders such as yourself, but if I may notice, you have a major lack of troops to perform a full scale invasion. With the current state of our army, if I may make a joke, we would barely tickle Demacia." I thought a joke was appropriate, to break the tension. The consequence was, however, very unexpected.

"You came all the way here, assassin, and you dare mock the competence of our troops?" he asked without expressing any emotions, though I could very easily come to a conclusion it would be a negative one.

"No, no... I am just offering an alternative that would cost us less lives and provide us certain victory over Demacia." I tried to reassure him and make him allow me to present my idea to them.

"Then out with it! We do not have all eternity to listen to propositions from puny citizens!" he said angrily and stared right into my eyes. A cold shiver went down my spine. I was about to make him regret he called me a puny citizen, but I restrained myself, remembering the words of the Primarius.

"I think that if we organized an expedition that would search for General Marcus Du Couteau, we would restore the former power to our troops. With him as our leader during battle, more people would agree to help Noxus. His brilliance and leadership are legendary. With his influence, and his charisma, Noxus would bat Demacia away without any effort!" I was honestly going to suggest the plan, but I thought my time could run out any second, so I kept it short. The moments before their decision were almost in slow motion through my eyes. I could hear my own heart beating, despite their mumbling. I heard their voices. I could easily interpret sounds of approval. Yes. This is it, they will agree with me. Jericho Swain nodded several times, and was just about to declare my suggestion as worthy, when Katarina interfered:

"Jericho, if I may interject, I have a strong reason as to why a mission of this nature would be impossible, and at least dangerous for all Noxus." she said, and pierced my self confidence with a glare built of pure fury.

A delay of a displeased man was sensed before Swain agreed to let her counter the new idea.

"If we were to organize an expedition, and search for my father, we would start from Demacia, because, as our sworn enemies, they would have something to do with his dissapearance. If our trained spies were caught or detected for some reason, it would trigger an immediate declaration of war, and they would charge in prepared. They would neither be surprised nor outmatched by our forces. I wish to bring the previous plan to act." she was stern, and kept looking me straight in the eyes while she spoke.

"But, miss Du Couteau, this is a great opportunity to accomplish two tasks at once! We would find your father, AND crush Demacia!" I insisted.

Katarina almost jumped out of her seat in anger.

"IF we found him! IF! Battleborne, the task you suggest is too dangerous to carry out and handle the consequences, due to the lack of soliders you alone have mentioned before! We must not expose ourselves to such risks!" he voice exploded through the room, breaking the chatter among the members of the Council. Again, voices of approval were heard, and Swain said that she does bring a valid point.

"It could be a risk, but it will be highly rewarding, as..." I started, but she interrupted me again:

"There will be no more discussion over this matter! It is too dangerous and I will not have any more of it! Your suggestion is dismissed, Battleborne, you may leave now." she said calmly, despite the growing fury in her eyes.

I almost passed out, as my hands were now sweating and shaking. To be so close to the goal, and to have it sabotaged by my closest ally. That was devastating and dissapointing. I clenched my hands into fists and decided to play the Garen card.

"You would get what you always wanted, Katarina!", I started, not minding that I addressed her as I usually do, instead of using a more formal approach. My mind was in a frenzy, and it could not construct formal ways of communication. I had only one goal in my mind, and it was to make her see that this is the ultimate solution to the problem.

"You would control the war against Demacia, fully dominating on the battlefield, and your dream of meeting the Mig-"

"DISMISSED!" I was once again interrupted by the most angry, threatening, growling, high pitched voice produced by Katarina, who banged her fist into the table, to channel her anger, and to make me able to see it as well.

I knew that she was seriously enraged right now. Coming here is, I see now,a big mistake. I must leave now, before she decides to put her death lotus to use, and shred me to pieces.

"Alright. I will go." I said in a cold manner, instantly turning around and walking away in my normal, quick pace.

I left the building and then sprinted out of the view. I wished to be alone now, so I can face my personal anger that I kept on a leash for so long. I did not stop running until I reached the outside of Noxus. I sat by the river and closed my eyes. I could not believe I was so close to accomplishing what I planned, and she stomped it away in a matter of seconds. I imagined that the negative energy inside of me was starting to dissolve into the air I exhaled, and soon, after a few deep breaths, I felt, well, not better, rather, more capable of dealing with the situation. I think I spent at least five hours next to the river, in the attempt to return to a calm state of mind. A clear alternative to my plan appeared in my thoughts. I may not be able to gather more men for the attack on Demacia, but I can go and search for the General myself. Yes. That is precisely what I am going to do. And everyone will see that I was right! This is not going to serve as a lesson to them. This is for Katarina's good. She will thank me one day, when the loving embrace of Garen becomes a habit, when they are bound together by love, the love I ensured would be possible, she will be eternally grateful to me! With this new motivation spreading through me, filling me with energy, I jumped off the ground and rushed back, to the Du Couteau residence, where I will equip myself for the journey.  
> <p>


	4. Pressing Matters

I was back inside the manor. I was almost done with preparing for my journey, when I heard Katarina and Cassiopeia loudly discuss the events that took place in the conference hall of that wretched building. I wanted to avoid this moment. She was angry. I was angry. But more importantly, she had a lot of knives and a snake - like sister. Maybe I had to face her. I couldn't reason with her. I tried that already, she knocked me off every single time. There will be no need to waste my breath and my patience on this further. But maybe I should let her have some space. I wasn't sure. I went out of my room, hoping I would get to the main hall in time. Thanks to my pace, I did reach it just in time. Cassiopeia was no longer there though. I saw Katarina standing in the center of the hall. She stood still, as if the stillness actually represented the latent anger she accumulated. It didn't scare me. I was still going to leave. This was my decision and it was final. I tried to make her go with me, she refused. Now I will go on my own. I made a few steps forward, and she gazed into me as I approached. We were standing about five steps away from a conversation that would more then likely resolve in physical violence and, even though considered less possible, my death. She made a few steps ahead. I could almost feel the particles of the air move as she came closer. A strange wave of coldness washed over me as she moved. The dark enclosure of her being made me feel somewhat threatened and uncomfortable. I felt a desperate need to react,to defend myself from what my mind has seen as a provocation.  
>Yet I did nothing. I remained motionless, and silent, simply standing and waiting in anticipation. None of us spoke out, and we both know what each side had to say. We were aware of the fact that as soon as the first word reached the realm of senses, there would be anger. A huge, violent explosion of pure anger, followed by blood and then later, regret.<br>The silence began to trouble me. Now I wanted her to scream at me, to vent her frustration and dignify my actions with any kind of a response. This so called indifference was not like her. I know the anger is eating her inside. I had to put a stop to her invisible agony.

"I thought I would go look for him myself, you know." I said, aware that my formulation seems like I am just considering it, even though, seconds ago, I was ensuring myself that I can pull this off and let her know my decision is final. She stared into my eyes. I couldn't identify any emotions within. This made me feel even more discomfort. I feared her weakness. That would be the worst punishment for me, and the worst downfall for her. If she was to grow weak for any reason, it would all crumble. The military state of Noxus is bad enough as it is. If we lost a precious champion, such as herself, we would face many, many difficulties.

She freely made a few more steps forward, then passed by me and sat down, on a step of a staircase that led to the living quarters of the manor. I turned around, a little surprised by this, and soon sat next to her. She let out a pained sigh.

"I needed to get you out of there." she said briefly.

"What?" I was confused.

"The meeting. I had to get you out of there... You could have been killed off like a fly." she continued, without an actual explanation as to what could have killed me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked again, hoping that stating my question this way would will her to actually shed some light on what she meant by this.

"I don't know if you are familiar with this but... My sister and I have a reason to believe it is not Demacia that stands behind my father's dissapearance." she said.

"Well... It's the only logical explanation! Noxus and Demacia were rivals for centuries! Demacia fears Noxus, and therefore eliminates the most powerful General out of their reach... So... So that they can either blackmail and control Noxus using his life... Who else could it be?" I was starting to panic. Really, what if it isn't Demacians who are responsible for this? If there is a root of betrayal spreading through the Noxian forces themselves, then we are doomed. How would we face Demaicans, if we are hindered and sabotaged by our own?

"We... We have a reason to believe that Jericho Swain stands behind this. It fits in perfectly. Think about it. He had potential, and he knew that he could gain more influence if he was placed on a higher military rank, such as the General's rank." she said. My worries were starting to get confirmed.

"But... If that is the case, why did he almost agree to my idea when I proposed it!" I asked hysterically.

"A foolish question, Tanno... Why else? He would assure you that Demacia is responsible for this, and he would make sure that you, as his threat, are eliminated, or prevented to cause problems to him. That is why I had to shout at you, and make you leave, before he would have a chance to see that you are a potential threat." she replied almost calmly.

"Well... But... I thought that... Why didn't you tell me all of this?" I demanded.

"When would I tell you? In the middle of the meeting? In front of Swain and his mindless yesmen? We would have both lost our heads!" she hissed angrily, as she tapped her foot to the marble floor in order to suspend the tension she felt.

Suddenly it all made sense. The meeting, Swain's will to listen to my proposal. Their sudden agreement to an idea of a commoner. Who would agree to a mindless idea of a regular citizen, when they had some of the best Noxian strategists? How did I not see this!

"Alright. I change my mind now. I am not going to pursue the search for your father, because I am not sure where should I begin my investigation. But with what you just said in mind, I have a new plan." I said.

"Which would be...?"

"... Killing Swain." And with that I stood up, with this goal being clearly set in my mind, fired up with more fury and vigor, demanding of me to take any action necesarry to ensure this objective was complete. I walked to the exit door, and I was just about to touch the doorknob, when a snap was heard and I could see small, dust - like, purple particles first form a curtain, and then slowly dissolve into the air. Katarina was now standing behind me. I knew it perfectly. Shunpo. I turned around, to see what made her haste to this decision. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. For some time she didn't say anything, and then she spoke her mind out:

"I know what you are thinking. And I know that you only seek the best for me. But I will not have you attepmt to do this. It is reckless, and it will bring nothing but trouble. If we take some time to truly analyze the situation, plan out our strike, and then execute it in the right moment, we will bring Swain down. I promise you, there will be a showdown. Just not now. If you are truly a friend of mine, then you will decide to make a retribution considering this cause, at least temporarily. Please, we do not need more distress. There will be an opportunity to solve this. And we will solve it at a later date, I promise this to you. Let us prepare for warfare instead. We will take up this other issue soon enough. There will be vengeance."

Her little speech did bring my mind to reason. It was true. Noxus is not a stable state, militarily speaking. The last thing we need is people fighting between themselves. We would just do Demacia's job. And that is unacceptable. She was completely right. As my face dropped in recognition of this fact, and the uncovering of a different one, which was the fact that I won't be able to stop the war between Noxus and Demacia, she smiled reassuringly at me, and nodded.

Finally, I hanged my head. It was a bitter sense of being wrong that caused this motion. I admitted my mistake, and my spirits took a huge punch. Regardless, I managed to smile back, knowing that maybe, only maybe there was still a small chance to prevent the catastrophy. I nodded, to confirm my decision and she patted my shoulder, noticing I wasn't particularly happy with this resolvation.

"It will all come to order... Trust me." she said with a comforting overtone, before she leaned over to peck my cheek. Chuckling at her sudden need to display a sign of affection, I nodded slightly, unsure if anything was ever going to come to order. It was all so unclear to me. If the war started, we would stand no chance. Freljord would more then likely take the Demacian side. So will Ionia. After the attempted occupation of their territories it would be hard to expect that they would take our side. Well, we could have a problem... Since no one will join us. Who on Earth in their sane state of mind would support the villains? Something must be done. We will be severely outnumbered. My thoughts were interrupted as she left to her private quarters. I remained sat on the stairs, lost in my own thoughts. I can't do anything to help Noxus, yet I serve it and protect it. Feeling dissapointed, I stood up, and soon after, I went to my room to clear my thoughts yet again. I unequipped my weapons and the battle armor I wore only to special assignments, and sat down in front of the window. It was only late afternoon, yet I felt so exausted. I felt drained frsom the emotional turmoil I was going through. I chose to lie down for a few minutes, thinking that some time spent in peace would make me feel refreshed. My eyes started closing on their own. I gave in. The world of dreams was more appealing to me at that time. I hoped that there was a way to make this all stop. Like in a dream, where everything was possible...  
> <p>


	5. How little we know

I awakened, and jumped up startled in the middle of the night, in my private quarters. It was not a leap of fear, as one usually describes their awakening from a nightmare. It was more of a nervous twitch spreading quickly through my limbs, and causing cold shivers to engulf me all over. When the cooling effect of fear has left my body, I had enough focus to pay attention to my surrounding and what caused this sudden wave of fear. It was dark and the air seemed thick and heavy. I sat at the edge of the bed for quite awhile. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. A normal night, such as any other. Normally, it only takes a few moments for me to shake off the effects of a nightmare. This one disturbed me so deeply that I couldn t stop thinking about it. And it wasn t just the content. For one thing, I am not someone who has dreams very often, and when I do, they re usually vague and not worth remembering. This one, however, was so vivid that I could smell the rot and blood, the death and decay. Even the splitting headache seemed to carry over into reality. Despite the fact that my head was swimming, I managed to drag myself to my feet. I took a few steps, towards the window, hoping that some fresh air would clear my head from the aftermath of a nightmare. I stood by the window for some time, but the air seemed equally heavy coming from the outside as well. I usually don't have nightmares. Feeling a little more awake, I sat back down, staring at my feet. Something did feel odd. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew for a fact that there was something wrong. I needed to find out what was making me feel troubled. I wished to see Katarina, even though it was late at night and she could have easily been asleep by now. I would have no trouble going over to her room. Rubbing my eyes and brushing down my robe, I left my room and soon, I was at the door to Katarina's. I knocked several times, but there was no reply. Undoubtedly she could be sleeping and therefore can't hear the door. I just turned to leave, when I noticed that the key to the room is in the outer side of the lock. It is usually on the other side, and she locks herself in at night. In order for this to happen, she must have gone out of the room and locked it, leaving the key intact. She is not in her room. A swift rush of panic formed inside of me as I reached for the doorknob. I unlocked the door and stepped in. The room was empty. This was by no means a good sign. I don't have a habit of rifling through her room and her belongings while she is not there, but I needed to find out where she is. Anything leading to that information could be in this room. I rummaged through her desk, finding nothing but assorted knives and vials of poison. Nothing of use. I was going to inspect her cabinet, at the far end of the room, when the edge of the desk caught my eye. I saw a small picture, fixated to the wooden surface with a knife. The picture represented Garen, in his rugged uniform, showing off his muscles and the massive sword that was his closest ally. I instantly got a bad feeling. This can mean nothing good. Plucking the knife out of the desk, the picture dropped to the floor, and a piece of paper that was slipped under it now fell down too. I picked both items up, more interested for the paper. It was a letter. The date caught my eye. The paper beared the date of this day. It was written today. I read through the letter:

Tanno,

If you got to this letter in time, then you should know I left the manor. You might be asking yourself why, even though I am sure you would be able to preict the answer very well without reading through. I have been trying to run from it, to hide it, exchange it for other feelings, but no matter what I do, in the end I am forced to admit it. I love Garen, the Might of Demacia. To say that I love him is an underestatement. I desire him. I long for him. I adore him with my whole being. The lack of his very presence devastates me with each passing day, and I cannot cope with the pressure that his absence brings. I am aware that we are in no condition to be considered a couple, since too many elements bring us apart. But I am willing to try and fight the odds, destroy everything that stands in my path, just to feel the reward of his loving embrace, even if it was only for a moment. I would be willing to renounce my devotion to Noxus, to be stripped off my privileges as a respected champion, and a member of the Du couteau family, even to the very border of being exiled from Noxus, just for the odd chance of meeting him outside of battle, and having a chance to express all the love I hold for him. I must pursue this tingling, warm sensation my heart has recieved. I never felt like this before. I am surprised at what the mere thought of him does to me, and I cherish that feeling so much that I am afraid that someday it will end, and leave me to my cold, enclosed self. As you read this, I imagine you are either rolling your eyes or chuckling smugly, as you cannot comprehend this situation. Of course, someone who is not afflicted by it acts rational and cannot understand the ones who are dazed by this madness of love.

To make my story short, I am traveling to Demacia. Yes, I know, it is a massive risk, and I might get killed in the process, but I woke up in the middle of the night feeling this despair, this dread, this... I cannot even describe the magnitude of my own depression. Deep in my heart I knew that I will never rest peacefully again unless he holds me. I wish to ask a favor of you. There is a huge possibility that I might not come back, so I wish to ensure that my actions will not harm Noxus itself. It would be reckless to bring all of you to grave danger, and I will not allow it to happen. I ask of you to keep this to yourself and I trust you not to dissolve the information regarding my whereabouts to anyone, under any circumstances. Should I not return, I want you to destroy this letter, as well as the contents of the small black crate which is located under my bed. If the words of my death spread, do not hesitate. You will have to take my place in the upcoming battle. I know you could be shocked, but someone will have to inherit my abilities in order to ensure our victory against Demacia. If I die, you will be known as the new sinister blade of Noxus. Under my pillow you will find a belt. Equip it, and you will be granted the gift of being able to skip to a more distant location easily. You might know it as Shunpo. I enchanted that particular belt, to transfer my ability to you, in case I do not come back. Use it carefully, though, for it has not been tested on non champions. You may experience blurred vision or a feeling of exhaustion. I am sure you will get used to it. I warn you, do not come after me. I am well capable of ensuring my own safety. If I was detected in Demacia with you along my side, your death together with mine would be a pure waste of talent and the strength of Noxus, and we would only help the Demacian dogs accomplish their mission which is to reclaim their former glory. My sister will possibly be anxious to learn of my location. Do not tell her where I am. I believe you can carry out any taks in battle, just as well as I would have done it. I will send you an anonymous letter, to let you know I am alright. If I come back, however, I will have much to tell you, so you may want to brace yourself. If this is my last letter to you, then know that I have faith in you, and I expect you to become the new force of Noxus after my passing.

We will meet in this very room, or in afterlife, regardless, it is bound to happen.

Katarina

I think, that by the time I reached the last sentences of the letter, I could not feel my legs. It was a paralyzing sensation that took away my abilities to move or think. She is gone. She left to DEMACIA! She exposed herself to dangers she cannot even percieve. Dear lord, this is a disaster! This is a...A... Nightmare! I remembered the nightmare briefly, and shaking my head in dissaproval, I rushed towards her bed. I stuck my hand under it, trying to palpate the said box without having to crawl under and look for it. I think I got it. My hand grasped a tight material that had a square shape. It must be the box. I dragged my hand out, and soon, I held a whole collection of letters. The first letter I noticed had a Demacian seal on the upper left corner. Oh, no... Feeling like an intruder to Katarina's intimacy, but still, curious to see what does the letter with the Demacian mark bear, I unfolded the paper and read through.

My dearest Katarina,

We are now many miles away from each other and I miss you so very much. I am always longing to see you, outside of battles,so I could cherish your presence witout fear. Foolish summoners and principles of our homelands stand in the way of our boundless love. I wish to hug you. I wish to feel your sweet embrace, but how can I allow myself to be captivated by your very being, when you are so far away? My heart shall always yern to reach yours, over the distances, across the mountains, over the primitive battles of our city states, and before anything else in the world.

How I wish you were here with me now. I could have hold tight, but all I can do as of this moment in order to be near you, is to keep hold in my heart all the lovely things we have been sharing since the day we fell in love and until now.

I promise you, no one can come between us. I will always stay faithful to our love. I know that I you are my one and only love. I felt it, even through the fury of battle, through which I first learned of your violent, yet fragile existance. We may be far from each other, we may not be able hold each other for now, but we remain together, we are close to each other in every way because of the love that bonds our spirits.

And though you are far away from me, nothing will change. I will love you truly and you will always be a special part of me. My mind shall never have a day pass without thinking of you, cherishing each moment we have shared and treasuring every detail of you. I long for you, my Love. Each night I long for the sensual passion of your kisses. I long to feel the comfort and peace of your loving arms. I want to hug you and kiss you and hold you tight but I have to wait until me we meet again.

Your love has made me wealthy beyond my dreams,

Garen

I sighed and dropped the letter back into the box. The box was full of them. I didn't wish to read any more. She was right. I was by no means afflicted by love, or any sort of needs for love. I couldn't understand this foolish decision. Yet, once I read his letter to her, I could start to see why did she wish to leave this urgently. Surely, the passion between those two could not be chained by laws or wars. Still, to allow her to go out like this would be irresponsible, reckless and unnaceptable. I must find her and bring her to reason, before she gets herself killed. I was torn between allowing her to find her love and embrace it, and between dragging her out of her love's reach but back into safety. At this point I was not sure if I could ensure both or either. Still, I would be a lot happier knowing that she is nearby, and doing alright, then being here and wondering where she is now, in the middle of the night. The good thing was the fact that I will be able to leave unnoticed. I considered destroying the box instantly, so if Cassiopeia ever came in to search for anything that might bring her closer to her sister, it would not end up in her possession. I will not leave that box here, certainly. I will hide the letters. Opening the box, I grabbed a handfull of letters, suddenly feeling a sharp pain sting through my palm.

"Ouch! Damn it!" i hissed, dropping the letters. Under all of them, at the very bottom of the little box I saw a rose. It was perfectly preserved and seemed fresh, eternally beautiful, with it's thorns still sharp and intact. A thought has crossed my mind. This rose is beautiful and deadly at the same time. A small card caught my eye. It was attached to the rose. I flipped it to read the following:

"The Sinister Blade of Noxus is like a black widow - beautiful, but deadly."

I stayed amazed at my own thoughts being represented on this card. As if he read her mind, knowing who she really is under all of that toughness. Still, as romantic as that may be, it would make an erruption among both Demacia and Noxus. Swain and Jarvan would be outraged by this and probably scorn them for the rest of their lives. I Can't even think about what would Cassiopeia think of her sister if she found out that Katarina decided to give her heart to a Demacian. Lifting back the letters, I stuffed them into my pouch, promising I would hide them somewhere as soon as I had the opportunity. I lifted the pillow off her bed, finding the belt which was mentioned in her letter to me. I clipped it around my waist and closed my eyes. I imagined that I am in front of the house and wished for it with my whole being. I visualized the outside of the manor perfectly. I could almost feel the cold, night breeze crawl through my skin. I heard a snap. I opened my eyes in fear, to find myself surrounded by a thick form of purple dust. I couldn't see anything through it. It soon deformed, becoming one with my new, altered surrounding. I was now standing in front of the Du Couteau manor.  
>"Wow..." I uttered in pure amusement. I wanted to learn more of this new ability, to use it up to it's true potential. I had no time. I had to move out quickly, before anyone saw me leave. In a new snap I was a mile further, evacuating myself out of Noxus, without having anyone notice me. It was amazing. I stopped to think. If she was to go to Demacia, she would have to make several stops. People don't just go to Demacia overnight. She would have to take a pause in wilderness, to rest, proceed, then rest, then move on, get to the Institute of War, which is located right between the two city states, possibly refresh herself there and prepare for the further journey, and then, after some more time, finally arrive to Demacia. I will have to be a lot faster if I wish to catch up with her. Still... She might be underestimating my ability to understand and use Shunpo... <p>


	6. I Could Make You Care

The road to the Institute of war was going to be long and exhausting. I can't say I prepared for it well, either. I just got out of there and rushed to get there. I didn't really think this through. Still, I can't say I cared, my goal was to find her, find out what she was up to, and either prevent her from getting killed, or help her accomplish her goal. Shunpo proved to be more then amazingly useful. I was traveling for nearly three hours, without stopping for a larger rest. I was shuffling between sprinting and Shunpo, so my traveling speed was very formitable. While on the road, I noticed a light in the distance. I slowed down, until I was in a quiet, slow pace. Just a precaution. Creeping down the road, sticking more towards the dark side, I tried to see ahead, and try to identify the source of light. I walked as close as I could, without running into a risk of being detected.

It turned out to be a campfire. Bandits? Campers? Brand? I chuckled at the last assumption, returning my thoughts to the investigation ahead. I decided not to walk closer to the fire, as it would be the easiest way to alert anyone nearby of my presence. Still, I was anxious to learn who or what was around that fire.

I kept dragging slowly through the very edge of the road, on the border where the clear road becomes an unclear shadow, and a potential threat to innocent travellers or merchants. I heard a motion. A footstep over the grass. I snapped my head in that direction, and sharpened my hearing, to make sure I could isolate the sound of a certain enemy or intruder. I stepped out of the grass, turning around to get a better view at it. No one or nothing seemed to be there... Humpf. Must have been an animal of some sort. Just as I was about to retreat back into the safe darkness that the side of the road provided, I heard that very very familiar sound. The purple mist blinded me, and before I could react in any way, I felt a fist bang into my stomach. As I keeled over, since the punch almost left me brethless, the bare knuckle soon met my shoulder. Growling out my pain, I tried to reach for my sword. I felt a tough material literally crush into my forehead, and I was sent flying to the ground. I was now lying on the middle of the road, lit by moonlight. And then I saw her. The sinister blade had that devilish smile on her face, the one that announced merciless torture, and the utter enjoyment in devouring her prey slowly and painfully. I saw her through my hands that were grasping my face, that burned from the pain that the fierce hit brought. Her hand rose, holding a tight grip on a blade, ready to hurl it at me.  
>"Kat! What the hell are you doing!" I shouted, trying to claw my way backwards, and possibly avoid the dagger.<br>Her hand dropped instantly.

"Tanno?" her voice, with prevailing surprise broke the silence of the night.

I managed to bring myself back up to my knees and pull the hood off my head, revealing my face.

"Ohhh... I am so... So sorry!" she exclaimed while rushing towards me.

"Yeah... Say that to my nose..." I uttered while trying to get up.

"Does it hurt?" she asked worriedly, offering me a hand up.

"Only when I breathe... So... Yes." I growled, not particularly proud of the fact that I accepted her support and got up with help. I really don't like it when I can't do something on my own.

"Well, I said I was sorry! Who in Valoran sneaks around the roads at night?" she was beggining to sound irritated, but I knew she was just feeling guilty.

"Well, let's see... Thieves, assassins, drunkards, lovers, and not entirely coincidentally, idiots who find a letter from their friend, who announces that they are off to a suicide mission!" I now shouted angrily. I rubbed my nose, but the jolt of pain spread all over my face upon impact, and I half growled a curse, as my I rubbed my forehead. My vision seemed blurry and darkened.

"Oh, come on, how could I have known that it was you? I wasn't able to see you!" she protested, while tucking her blade safely back into her belt's sheathe.

"Well that's funny, because I think I'm the one who's blind now!" I responded, in between huffs, growls and curses.

"Cheer up... If they ever get tired of Lee Sin, you're a decent champ material." she said cheerfully, trying to establish a positive atmosphere between us.

"Gee thanks..." I mumbled indifferently, still busy with rubbing my forehead.

"What the hell did you hit me with, an elephant?" I asked, once I felt that the pain is beginning to fade.

"My foot..." she said and chuckled slightly.

"Then I can safely say that you do indeed hit like a truck." I decided to give it up to jokes.

"When fed, summoner, only when fed." she smiled.

There were a few seconds spent in silence. Then I started laughing at the situation, and soon she joined me.

"I must say, I was scared for a second. When you drove that damn foot of your into my head, the initial asumption was that Ashe's ulti hit me!" I uttered through laughter.

"Oh please! Now you are just flattering me!" she giggled merrily.

"Hello, League, behold the new Lee Sin! The last one was so bad compared to the new version, that we made changing him a priority even over buffing Evelynn!" I exclaimed, trying to impersonate the announcer of the matches.

Kat was visibly in a better mood. Her laugh was natural, genuine and honest, not fake and threatening, such as the manic giggles she reserves for the matches. Seeing her thrive, I felt better myself.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked, while she led me to the fire, to warm up.

"I am resting... I was going to proceed right in the morning... I thought you wouldn't follow me." she said.

"You told me where you are headed, you left me a letter of a desperate romantic, and you gave me a speed boost. What did you expect to happen, really?" I asked.

"I suppose I didn't plan that out quite well... I was in a hurry, and my mind was in a daze..." she admitted.

"Look, I was thinking on my way here... Let's hope I'll remember..." I said teasingly, while I tapped my hand over my forehead.

She slightly chuckled and softly kicked my foot, but allowed me to go on.

"Why go to Demacia, where you can have the same thing minus the death in the Institute of War?" I asked.

Her eyebrows rose.

"What are you pointing at?" she asked.

"Well, the Institute has a training version of the Summoner's rift! A kind of a impersonation of the scenery, and generated clones of most of the champions that allows you to practice on your own, or with another summoner."

"And you think that..."

"...By having someone summon Garen while I summon you, we could make a date without being exposed to danger."

"Precisely. I see that leaving the belt was not such a big mistake after all." she smiled.

I leaned back and stared at the stars. She did the same after a while.

"Stars are so beautiful, aren't they? Like little diamonds in the sky... Do you like stars, Tanno?" she asked softly.

"Why would I like them? They are just a bunch of shining rocks." I scoffed my reply, yet I felt somewhat captivated by the beauty of the sight.

We spent some time in silence. I think that every time an important moment occurs between us, we share it in silence. We both know what the other one thinks. Our minds just become synchronized when we sit and randomly stare at things.

"Do you think that I will... Be able to endure in the clash with Demacia?" she asked, with a tone of slight fear in her voice.

"I have no doubts in you." I replied shortly.

"But... Crowd Controlling skills..." she sighed in exasperation.

"I know... Almost every champion has them. But you must remember, Kat, you are an assasin. You do not initiate fights, you make sure weak targets are not able to run, you finish them off, and then, later, you pick fights with the strong targets as well. It takes patience and anticipation, but it is highly rewarding." I explained.

She smiled and nodded her approval.

"Remember that match against Evelynn and Twitch on our lane?" she asked, sighing again, the memory of the sweet victory luring another smile to her lips.

"I'll never forget that. I remember, I was not as experienced as I am now. I did know about warding though. I always taught you that-"

"... Seeing your enemy means being a step ahead of them." she finished instead of me and I smiled to approve of it.

"I remember you were finding them a nuisance in the beggining, telling me how you are scared of Twitch, because he makes your death sudden and painful. Makes you feel useless and incompetent. I told you that you outmatch him, despite his ability to blend into the surroundings. You didn't trust me, not even after the first kill. You wanted to complete your Hextech revolver as soon as possible and move into the gunblade with haste. When I asked why would you get such an item, you told me that you memorized that move from a more advanced summoner. I don't know if you noticed, but that made me feel a little dissapointed, because I learned you don't trust me. I wanted to earn your trust, you know. Or your respect, I was not sure. Still, I advised you to get the Oracle's elixir. You fumed with rage, but as I was your summoner, all you could do after my decision and my purchase was to stomp off into your lane. That was perfect. Accumulated anger. Ready to dispatch. You saw Twitch beggining to stealth. You told me that you will die and blame me for your death. I told you that you will see him when the right time comes. And when he was in your range, he appeared as a vague shadow, but visible enough to recognize it and deal damage to it. I taught you to stalk the brush and wait for minutes, even hours for the target to make a wrong move, just so you could approach, damage, and move away as quickly as you came in, before anyone had time to react. You saw it worked. You did it once, twice, three times, and soon, Twitch ran out of your damage and visibility range. You were angry and devastated, scolding me for not leading you towards a kill." I spoke, remembering that match as if it happened moments ago.

"I never understood why you didn't let me pursue him, when he was clearly injured..." she protested, but still, through a smile.

"Psychological warfare. Pure mind games. I told you, he is bound to come back, and bring you more then just gold to get your next item." I explained.

"Well, I soon forgot about it, as I saw Evelynn in a clearing of the lane, just begging to get killed off... I took your guidance to mind, striking at her, then retreating out of her range so she could not fight back. When I repeated this several times, I remember that she panicked, and went into stealth, to protect herself. I chased her, and thanks to your elixir, I could see where she moved." she said.

"Too bad she didn't seem to know that you saw her movement, as I noticed her trying to trick you by taking sharp turns into the nearby brushes and then switching her direction. That was hilarious." I added, giving out a small laugh. She joined in too.

"And then, the grand finale came. It was just like you said. Twitch was bound to come back. As Evelynn was severely injured and more then unable to fight back, he thought that together they could defeat me. When I saw him approach, I was not sure if I could pull it off. After all, we were heading for the area below their turret. You told me that I can trust you, and for a moment, I could feel that I really can trust you. So you sent me in, ordered me to unleash the death lotus. I just remember the beam of the tower that struck me. I didn't see anything, and I could barely feel anything. I thought you were going to kill me, and I was just about to curse you, when I felt you pulled me out. I couldn't remember anything that happened for the next two minutes or so. When I came to my senses, you congratioulated me on a double kill!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands in pure joy of the memory.

"Heh, yeah... And more importantly, I don't know if you noticed, but Twitch and Evelynn evacuated from your lane when they respawned, and for a longer amount of time, none of the enemy champions dared come into it. Had you killed Twitch when you had the so called opportunity, they would shrug it off, as, you know, that happens to everyone. But this way, you showed them that you are capable of killing all of them if they try to resist you. Sure, they weren't there to learn that they were both low on health, but the mere announcement of your double kill scared them enough to stay out of your way." I said triumphantly.

She nodded.

"Yes, that does make perfect sense... After I learned of my victorious rampage, I felt a little guilty I implied that you were incopetent before..." she reveled it, with a shameful tone.

"Oh well... You've gotten to know me, and you learned to trust my judgement. Soon, you adopted the way I think, and now, I don't even need to tell you what to do. You just know it." I said.

"Well.. Thank you for this new perspective of the battle. I never thought I could be capable of such actions... Yet... You proved it to me numerous times." she said in a low tone. She was trying to tune her emotions down. I almost felt it. Supressing the need to express herself. In that tiny second that she used to cover up the way she feels, I felt closer to her then ever. In my mind I saw her a longer time ago, her eyes flashing anger at me as soon as I issued an order. Then the insecurity and almost unnoticable fear before I would lead her into a 3 vs 1 fight. Then, over time those emotions changing into pure joy and pride as soon as I would chose to lead her. Her genuine caring about me, and my endless devotion to her. I smiled at the mere thought of her, seeing her dwell in the memories of our triumph.

Suddenly, I felt tired again. I did need some rest, and the warmth of the fire was lulling me into the dreams again.

"Kat, I think you messed up my brain with that kick... I feel tired again." I said and smiled, to let her know I am joking. I think she knew it without the signal too. She knows me.

"You are never going to let that go, are you?" she asked, lifting her foot as a sign of a threat.

"I think you just managed to convince me." I grinned clumsily, while crawling closer to the fire. I layed my hands under my chin, rolling over onto my stomach, staring into the flames that slowly lingered almost in front of me. Feeling at peace once again, I closed my eyes. Having a hostile attitude towards spending time outside of Noxus, I felt as if I dreamt of being awake, alert and ready to jump and react to the slightest sign of danger.


	7. The heart wants what the heart wants

The morning Sun rose to annoy me, and drive pain into my eyes. God, I hated sunrises. I pushed myself off the ground, to see Katarina already busy sharpening her blades.  
>"Good morning!" she greeted me with a smile.<p>"Morning..." I grumbled, while shielding my eyes from the incoming rays of light.<p>

"Are we actually going to the Institute?" she didn't hesitate to ask.

"Yes. I told you, it is way simpler. And since time isn't working for us right now, we might need to hurry as well."

I was smart enough to bring my traveling sack with me. It was a medium sized sack like pouch, always strapped to my back. In it, I always brought the bare necesities in case my staying somewhere was prolonged. It always contained four items: A health potion, a flask of water, a few slices of bread, and chopped, cooked beef. That was a decent meal that could keep my energy up through the day, or at least until I would be able to reach a tavern, and then stock up on more food. Katarina brought plenty of food supplies, so she advised me to keep my reserves, offering me to join her in a full size feast worthy of the Gods themselves. After the meal, we felt hale and hardy, ready to take on a new day of our journey. The time went by so much faster, since now we were shortening it by talking to each other. We've discussed the latest champions, a few builds we were fighting over, and a few new ideas on countering some champions. Katarina remarked that our skills of countering Morgana and Caitlynn so far are godlike. The talking, and the traveling went on for the following three hours, when we reached our goal, which was the Institute Of War.

"Ahhh... This place brings so many memories..." I sighed as the glimpses of the tall, ancient looking building with markings and arcanic rune boulders towering at the entrance. The radiating half - fluid - half - gas pink matter flowed around the boulders.

"Yes, the institute of war... This is where you began your education as a summoner... Though, in my opinion you wouldn't have made a bad champion either..." she replied, while stopping in order to admire the view.

"It's a shame my parents considered it to be a very risky and unprofitable career... So they made me purusue summoning instead." I explained.

"I understand their concern... It really is a very dangerous life you live if you choose the path of a champion." she added.

"But also rewarding and glorious..." I pointed out.

"Oh please, that is overrated... What is so glorious about it? Is it the fact you have no privacy, or the fact that you are obliged to fight for the so called peace, even at the price of being forced to face your closest allies... Or even... Loved ones..." she seemed to get agitated by the topic. I chose to change it.

"So what are we doing here? We're supposed to be inside... For the practice..."

"Yes, yes, certainly... Let us proceed..."

And so, we entered the massive courtyard of this huge district. The area looked flourishing and quite pleasant to spend time in. Everything suited to the needs of summoners to be was able to be found here... Marketplaces, offering shortswords, snacks, customized summoner gloves, hoods, robes... Taverns, offering refreshing beverages and tasty meals for the students, in their time off, and even a several parks, where they gathered to share their experiences and interact with each other.

"Where do we go from here?" Katarina asked impatiently, while her eyes quickly scanned the vicinity.

"We are headed for the training district... Don't worry, we are close to it..." I replied, to soothe her a bit. She nodded, and we were just about to make our way to the training district, when we were distracted by a high pitched voice, coming from an excited summoner that rushed to us.

"It's Katarina! The sinister blade of Noxus! She came to visit us! Katarina! You are my idol! Will you walk with me, please? Just a few steps?" the summoner was anxious, but Katarina was uninterested, and simply brushed her way past him, and soon, he ran off, to spread the news of this strange visit. She rolled her eyes at his retreating figure, and then we decided to rush to the training area, before new interruptions would occur. Finally, the training grounds were in front of us. A massive arena, and an old man in front of it greeted us.

"Are you looking to practice your skills?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes, yes we are." I replied hurriedly, eager to just step into the arena.

"Why, you must bring another champion to practice against, lassie... Surely you have read the rules by now!" he said.

"Ah... Right... I will be back." I informed him and instructed Katarina to enter the arena and wait for me in the hall. I rushed off to find a summoner of any kind... It was just important for him to summon Garen and then leave the lanes to our newly formed couple. I ran into a colleague, a summoner in rising, on level 17 to be precise, Nigel. I asked him if he would be able to do me a favor of this sort, and he said that he would love to, but still, he proposed that we move this 'date' for tomorrow, as today was Garen's 'free week'. Many summoners would choose to lead him into battles, and the chances of him being eligible for a training match were little. I went back to Katarina with these news. She wasn't really pleased to hear of this delay, but she agreed that we spend the rest of the day training other summoners, and then, after we were exhausted from all the matches, take two rooms in a tavern nearby, and brighten up the time before sleeping with a few tankards of ale followed by spiced, roasted meat with vegetables. After the dinner, and a few boasts of battles, we parted ways and went to our beds... Tomorrow was going to be a big day for Katarina... She probably won't be able to fall asleep now from all the excitement...


	8. Ain't That a Kick in the Head

I usually spend some time staring into the ceiling when I wake up in a secluded area, when I know I am certainly safe. During that time, I think of the day which awaits me, plan the first few steps ahead, and in general, process any of the pressing matters that might stand in my way. On this particular day, I had none, or at least, none that come to mind. The only noteable event was solely meant for Katarina to think about. I wasn't going to interfere or attempt to force anything to happen, unless she personally asked me to do so. After I got dressed, I went to see if she was up, and, of course she was. As I entered the room she was in, I saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, with her hands wrapped around her knees. She seemed lost deep in her thoughts. I made a few steps forward and as soon as I did, she flinched, and her eyes locked into mine, staring a deadly gaze, but only for a second. Soon, her eyebrows arched, and her lips curled into a small smile, to acknowledge my presence in the room.

"Is everything okay?" I asked as I came closer to the bed.

"Oh, yes... Yes... I am just a little excited, I suppose." she replied with a slight hint of worry in her voice.

"I understand that... But look at it this way - you have nothing to worry about... He likes you, and you know that. The only thing you need to do is to show up, and... Well, pretty much be yourself." I tried to calm her. Seeing her freak out in front of Garen because she wouldn't know what to do or say would more then likely result in violence. She gets angry when she is pressured.

"I know... I know... It is just that... I have never be interested into... Those things." she said, and from what I saw on her face, she seemed to look ashamed of that.

"What things? Seducing men and toying with their hearts?" I asked just to make sure, even though I could tell from her look.

"Yes. Those things... I never considered it as important as the ways of the blade... Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe I am meant to be on my own..." she continued to wallow in her pool of self pity.

"Oh dear lord, Kat... You know which people excel in seducing men? Harlots! Are you really regreting that you didn't learn how to be one?" I asked and huffed, as I can't believe she tends to act irrationally. She glared at me.

"Are you calling my sister a harlot?" she asked in a cold, hard tone that would announce bloodshed during team fights."

I've gotten used to that tone, and it no longer scared me, as much as her concrete use of knives did.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear and see the way she talks and acts on the battlefield?"

The anger in her eyes dispersed, and it was exchanged with a glint, while she gave a hearty chuckle.

"Maybe you are right..." she drew a conclusion that was to my liking.

"Of course I am right! Kat, he likes you without the whorish attitude... He saw you in battle, he admires you for who you are! Ergo, you need no changes! Now come on, get up from that bed, go to that arena, and have a great time with the man you love!" I exclaimed almost euphorically, and she leaped off the bed with a proud smile on her face.

"You are right! Come on!" she shouted excitedly, as she passed me by and hurriedly left her room. We quickly made it to the practice area, as the tavern was located nearby, and, per our agreement, Nigel was already waiting for us. I gave him a nod, as I signaled Katarina to enter the arena and wait for us.

"So, who do I summon, again?" he asked

"Garen, of course..." I mumbled my reply.

"Alright, that will be... A hundred gold." he said happily, as the conversation reached the point he awaited.

"Dear lord, as if I asked you to make a new champion... Very well, here you go." I said, a little displeased, while tossing him the readied coinpurse.

"Pleasure doing business with you!" he grinned while he was shaking the purse in his hand. He quickly put it away and we proceeded into the arena. The old keeper was there again.

"Oh, hello, fellow summoners! Came to brush your skills, did you?" he greeted us as he approached slowly.

"Yes, yes, a little duel, to test our skills..." Nigel said with a smile.

The keeper shook his head.

"Ah you young summoners... Ever so ambitious to reach new goals... Well, good luck to you anyway, lad..." he added as he unlocked the summoning chamber for us. We entered it and we were given our summoning orbs. I felt my hands shake as they held the spheric object that emmited a certain wave of heat over the palms. I summoned Katarina, and soon, I had a bird perspective over Katarina. My spirit had channeled through the sphere, merging with hers, granting me mental access to the field. With her skills and my tactics, we were always an amazing team. We were supposed to follow our routine, immideately enable Shunpo, and get boots and potions. But this time I instructed her not to do it. I warned Nigel not to spend any skill points or to get any items. And right when we marched our heroes onto the mid lane, we dropped our orbs. Us and the champions were now separate entities, acting by our own wills. As Nigel and I were no longer needed in the summoning chamber, we snuck onto the field and navigated to the jungle. We were going to sneak into the brush on the mid lane and see if everything goes well...

Meanwhile...

Katarina walked tall and proud, yet somewhat womanly and fragile. The hints of her divinity were percieved in the movement of her hips, and the deadly, yet tempting eyes glistened with an unusual emotion. The one that never followed her steps in battle.

Garen marched down the other side of the lane, the magnificent light shining off his armor. Right there, a few steps from him, stood the woman he desired for what seemed to be an eternity.

They were both ready for this moment, they were anticipating it, imagining it happening, but neither of them were ready for this encounter. They stopped when they were merely inches away from each other. There was nothing but silence for a few seconds.

Katarina gazed into his eyes with curiosity. She wanted to know so much... What history those eyes have to tell... Did they ever shed a tear? What is it like to be a Demacian? All these questions appeared out of nowhere, and she had no answers for any of them. And suddenly, it didn't matter anymore. What mattered was his closeness, this strange, tingly, warm feeling that invaded her whole being, and a sudden craving for his loving embrace.

"It has been so very long, since we last met, Sinister Blade." Garen's strong voice broke the silence of the otherwise peaceful lane. He spoke firmly, yet somewhat softly, and for the first time when they met on the battlefield, his eyes weren't clouded by bloodlust.

"It has been an eternity, indeed..." she said, in a hushed tone. The full magnitude of his glorious presence began to get to her, and she was finding it hard to will herself to speak, when she only wanted to enjoy the moment.

A tension could be felt, tingling around them. They looked relaxed, but they were affected by this unusual feeling of mild fear. No, fear is much too strong of a word to describe this. Simply, they both wanted to express themselves, but none had the adequate words.

And then, without any addue, as if it was perfectly natural, which, at some point it really was,he kissed her lightly but with so much passion that he could feel her knees only slightly tremble under her. She looked stunning in his eyes. He never pulled back, his lips were now inches from hers, and he could feel her warm breath on his face. She took his hand in hers and just held it. The truth was that they were both nervous and both giddy at the thought of what they were going to do. They feel as though they had never done it before. He smiled as he caught her eye, that beautiful eye, she was famous for. That green, flawless emerald that could pierce though your heart's magic resistance like a strike of a Void Staff. He kissed her more hungrily this time, and she responded in the same, eager, warm manner. His hands were gliding down her shoulders, and further down to her waist, when she flinched. He moved away, giving her a questioning look. She turned to face the brush coming from the jungle, and there, by the sides of a small, green ward, which provided enough light, they both now clearly saw two figures hiding inside.

"Ohhh..." she gasped as she moved away, feeling embarrased to be caught in the such an intimate moment.

He moved back too, his eyebrows arching in wonder, and when he recognized the two summoners, one of which had led him here in the first place, he got so furious that he tossed his sword into the brush. The sword's handle fell on Nigel's foot, and he yelped as he crumbled down to the ground, clutching his foot.

"You IDIOT! You bought WARDS!" I hissed as I kicked his other shin. He yowled and raised his hands to defend himself.

"But... But... That is what I always do when I... When I start a game!" he protested, but his protest was muffled by another kick.

"For the love of GOD, what did I say to you when we started? I said DO...NOT...GET... ITEMS..." I said, making sure I kicked him after every of those last words. He could do nothing but attempt to crawl away, stumbling into the jungle's dirty water on his way in. I was too busy kicking him to notice Katarina making a run to reach us.

"No, no, no, no! Kat! It was his idea to stay, I SWEAR!" I uttered as I tripped over my own feet while retreating and ended up in the same, boggy, muddy water of the jungle. Now both Nigel and me were trying to claw our way back or further from two angry champions that were approaching us. Suddenly they stopped dead in their tracks and backed away for a few steps. Nigel and I shared a frightened glance before we realized we were now in front of Baron Nashor himself. The giant worm - like creature was enraged by our presence, so much that we smelled the burning thrist for blood out of it's gripping, fearsome mouth. The air soon became polluted with a heavy, damp overtone, and before we knew it, green acid flew down on us. In the last second, we tumbled away, and ran like we were insane. We did not stop running until we reached the very entrance to the Summoner's Rift. We stumbled out, to be greeted by the surprised Arena keeper.

"Now, what are you kids up to?" he asked.

"Nothing... I mean... Nothing!" Nigel uttered as he almost trampled me, trying to reach the exit. We were never happier to be outside, and to be under the Sun. Without even a goodbye, we split up and ran off, each to their place to hide before the two champions begin their rampage. 


	9. You'll Know It When It Happens

Later that day, I was pretending to be one of the regular summoners, that was still in training. I sat through lectures, went with their groups to breaks and in general, made sure I merged with them as much as possible. I was just sitting in the cafeteria, listening to a few lesser summoners argue over a build they made for Master Yi, when, unexpectedly, Katarina walked in. I was doing this to avoid her, and here she was now. I saw her eyes narrow down and scan through the room in eagle precision. She saw me. Of course she did. She casually walked over to the table, and the few summoners that were sitting next to me hurriedly got up and went to look for a new table, as they were relatively new, possibly scared into stories such as the one about Katarina, and her methods of killing any summoner who would not ensure her team the victory. I knew those were just rumors, and besides, I knew she couldn't do anything in front of all these people. Sure, she could always unleash the deadly lotus and kill a lot of us, if not all, but there would be sanctions that would most likely ban her from the league, and she would never do anything to put her father's name into question. As she approached, I noticed that her body has a somewhat relaxed stance, more relaxed then her usual, ever tense self. Her eyes didn't have that monstrous glare in them anymore. She casually walked up to me and sat down on the chair opposite to mine.

"Hello." I uttered cautiously, because at this point, I didn't have a clue about what was going on in her mind to make her so... Calm all of a sudden.

"Hello, Tanno..." she repeated while smiling, as she crossed her legs. Now there's something new. I wondered what is this all about. I noticed that her hair is a little ruffled, which was also alarming, since she used to brush it to perfection. Not many girly rituals of makeup and endless trying on a lot of clothes for fun she liked, but for some reason, she enjoyed brushing her hair... Besides, she always said she doesn't want to be confused with Yorick, and then, she would brush away, and it took a lot of her time.

"What's... Going on?" I tried to come back closer to a topic regarding previous events.

"Oh, I must tell you... Since you were stopped from seeing for yourself..." she said, but surprisingly enough, no threatening or angry tones emerged out of her voice.

"I didn't know there was anything in there... I told him not to get anything, I assumed he wouldn't get anything...Besides... Do I look like a Vision Ward to you?" I asked, as I was already getting a little frustrated.

"No, no, of course not... I never implied anything of the like... Anyway... To get back on topic, I just had the match of my life... If you know what I mean." she said as she grinned. Okay, this is just downright insane. What the hell is going on with her? I was just about to ask a refined form of this question, when I heard a summoner:

"Oh! Katarina has a match story to tell! Gather 'round! This must be good!"

And before we knew it, a flock of aspiring summoners crowded our table, as they all dragged in chairs and sat down, waiting in anticipation for Katarina to begin. She glanced at me, while biting her lower lip and blushing ever so slightly. And then it hit me. Relaxed stance, grinning, blushing... Ohhh... No, no, this is not an appropriate story for the audience of this sort... Or any sort... And now they are all here! And they want to hear about it! It was fairly obvious that she was caught unprepared to share that kind of a story with... Well, first more then one person, and then, a lot of strangers, but she cleared her throat and threw one last insecure glance at me, before smiling to the audience and beggining the story.

"Well, summoner, I happened to lane against Garen... On the mid lane..." she was just about to go on, when one of the summoners interrupted her.

"Garen? He chose to go mid? But why?" he asked, clearly puzzled, as any other a little more advanced summoner would be. She started rubbing her palms together, and I saw that she was going short of explanations. I chose to jump in and help her out:

"Well, you see, it was a practice match, a duel... And in a duel, both champions meet on the mid lane, regardless of their lane position in a normal game." I said, and she nodded to confirm it, giving me a slight nod and a barely visible smile.

"Anyway...", she chose to go on, "We were farming at first... We.. Well, farmed, for a long time, until he chose to start... Harrasing." she chuckled as she looked at me, to see if I grasped the original context of this so called 'metaphore'. I did of course, but it was fascinating that no one else did, despite her often pauses and an unusual urge to smile and chuckle a lot.

"What happened next?" another summoner asked, completely unaware of the fact that the Sinister Blade herself is spilling the spiciest details of her intimacy to him.

"Well... Erm... He... Silenced me." I could see it in her eyes, she was barely controlling herself from bursting into laughter. This was a completely new side of her. Like she was brainwashed and replaced with a cheerful personality such as... I don't know, Annie? I looked back at her and I was just about to ask her to go somewhere where she won't have to talk in codes, when a third summoner grabbed her attention.

"Well of course he silenced you, that is the first ability he unlocks! What else would he do with that big sword of his?" he asked and a few of them approved of it.

I let out a small laugh at this remark, and Katarina covered her face for a few seconds too.

"Did you hear that, Kat? A big sword... Interesting. Do go on... So, he silenced you with his big sword... Tell me, I am very eager to know... What was your.. Ability power on that level?" I asked with a smug smile on my face and the color of her face matched her hair color, as she shook her head at me half playfully and half threateningly at the same time.

"Well... It was... very low... I have never done... I mean... Countered anything of the like." she uttered as she took a deep breath. This was all very amusing to me. And even more amusing was the fact that no one seemed to 'read between the lines'. Dear lord, if the fate of Noxus resides on these summoners, then we might as well be doomed right now... I watched Katarina closely, as the summoners encouraged her to go on. They were seriously interested into hearing about the 'match'.

"He absolutely dominated me the first time... He was packing exhaust, and with a Decisive Strike, we settled the first... Phase with 1/0 for him."

The summoners went quiet again, paying close attention to the champion. They never had a chance to speak to one outside of battles. They wouldn't get to do so until they proved they are worthy of the champions time by providing them with a good score.

"When I came back to the lane, we continued farming, and he overextended again. I knew he was going to... Attack me again... But what I didn't know was that he was already able to afford a Zeal..." she said, but this time I didn't really get it.

"A... A Zeal, Katarina?" I repeated, as I was now out of context.

"Yes, Tanno, A Zeal... So the next time he... Attacked me... His attack speed was significantly higher." she said almost through gritted teeth.

"Oh, attack speed... I get it now." I approved with a slight smile on my face.

"But he would have gotten extra movement speed and a chance for a critical strike as well..." a summoner from the crowd interferred.

"Oh, yes... Of course... There were a few critical strikes as well. But they were not too significant, as he mostly used his Decisive Strike to... Finish me off." she explained it this time.

"So you started off with a score of 0/2/0... That's lame!" another one contributed to the conversation.

"Oh I am sure Katarina had a plan to... Get even..." I said calmly and winked at her.

"It is funny you should say that... Now, we were already level four... We turned back to some farming, and soon, I was able to afford a Guinsoo's Rageblade..." she continued.

One of the summoners looked at me almost with disgust.

"You rush Rageblade on HER, and you are level thirty? What a noob!" a few of them laughed, but Katarina signaled me to ignore them, as didn't seem to be pro enough, intelligence wise, to understand the latent topic of our conversation.

"So... The Rageblade." I got us back on topic.

"Ah yes... He was exceptional at farming too... So it was no wonder he came back with a phantom dancer very soon as well." she moved on

"Hold on, hold on... This doesn't make a lot of sense. He farms a little and all of a sudden he can afford a Phantom Dancer?" a question stood in the way again.

"That's because he was farming for her Phantom Dancers in the first place..." I mumbled, more to myself, but she was able to decipher it and managed to muffle another wave of laughter before it became too obvious.

"What was that?" one of them seemed to notice Kat's reaction.

"Oh, I said, it doesn't take a lot of farming for the Phantom Dancer in the first place..." I spoke more loudly this time.

"Besides, Garen already had two kills." Katarina added, and the crowd was filled with sounds of approval and agreement.

"That does clear up Garen, but what about you? You feed him and farm a little, how do you gather up gold for a Rageblade?" These questions wouldn't stop, and at some point, I was already able to see that we won't be able to make up something to cover up the story. A few moments of silence passed as Katarina was stumped, and so was I.

"Well?" one of them asked in anticipation.

"Ah, right! She had runes that would grant her gold... A whole runepage!" I said, even though I knew it was the most stupid thing no one would ever believe.

"So wait... You really expect us to believe that you have a runepage filled with gold earning seals, marks, glyphs and quintessences?" one asked immediately.

"Well.. In fact, I do..." That was all I could say at this point.

A huge wave of laughter echoed throught the room now, which only attracted more of curious summoners.

"You were saying, Kat?" I tried to regain the control of the topic before it gets out of hand.

"Yes... So we were back in our lane... And a strange... Hm... Event occured. You do know that Shunpo usually brings you behind your target? Well, I suppose it was a miscalculated targeting... Because I somehow ended up in front of him... But with my back turned to him."

A few horrified gasps were heard from the crowd.

"Well, what did you do then? Surely, you had to retreat!" one of them said.

"Actually no... I chose to stay and engage in combat... Which wasn't such a bad idea afterall... You see... His attack damage was... Well.. Large... Or should I say, massive... And his attack speed was... Even higher. But I could counter him this time. The only thing I didn't know was the fact that he had runes for... Armor... Penetration." an uncontrolable giggle escaped her lips again at the end, and she covered her mouth until she came back to a calm state of mind.

"I don't get it... What's so funny?" a summoner demanded to know.

"Oh... Nothing..." Katarina replied, while still trying to control the will to laugh her mind off.

"She just remembered that Garen stacked mana regen glyphs." I chipped in and a few of then scoffed in pure exasperation.

"So, we have a gold increasing rune powered Katarina rushing Rageblade, and a Garen stacking mana glyphs, and they are BOTH on level 30... How did you ever get out of this place?" another snide remark flew into my attention, but was soon ignored.

"Go on..." I said.

"Alright. So my attack speed is inferior to his at first... But on each hit, it raises, and soon, we attack each other at an equal attack speed. He turns Judgement on, and swoops up some... Minions... I toss my Bouncing Blade and pick at.. Them too... We are spamming skills faster and faster... I think he realized he was going to reach..." she made a pause as she wasn't able to find a fitting word that would illustrate the sequel of the true story.

"Reach level 6?" one of the summoners asked, and Katarina nodded energically.

"Yes, exactly! So... In the... Heat of battle, he hits my minions, and... I hit his at the same time... And we were both level six... I was too.. Dazed to realize it... And then we... We used our ulties at the same time." she said and sighed with relief, as she reanacted the whole scene again.

"And... That's it?" a summoner asked dissapointedly.

"Well, yes..." Katarina said in a cheerful tone.

The crowd started falling apart, mostly exclaiming disgruntled noises and grumbles or comments like 'What a noob story' or 'What a waste of time.'

When there was no one left by our table, Katarina and I just stared into each other. A few seconds passed in complete silence, and then we both bursted out laughing until our stomachs hurted.

"Hahaahahaha... Reach... Reach level six!" I uttered through a rumbling laugh.

"Yes... But... Hahaha...De...Hahahaahahah... I can't even say it right... Decisive strike!" she giggled half manically. The rest of the summoners nearby threw us a few confused and suspicious glances, but went back to minding their own business eventually. Just as I was about to repeat another saucy detail from Katarina's match, I saw her face freeze and her eyes widen immediately. I got scared and stared at her until her eyes found mine. A group of summoners passed by laughing and chatting.

"What? What is it?" I asked, already serious, but I had to speak louder, to overcome the noise of the passing summoners.

"Swain!" She hissed and stared into my chair... Or through it... I wasn't sure.

"Swine?" I repeated in confusion. I got up to turn around and see what got her attention, when The Master Tactitian's voice broke through the room, like a thunder:

"SWAIN!"

I recognized the voice immediately and automatically plopped back down onto the chair, feeling my jaws drag open.

"Is... Is he behind me?" I asked in a hushed, shaky tone. I must have looked like a frigthened hedgehog, because I've seen Katarina lower her head and look away, in order to restrain herself from laughing again.

"YES, Battleborne. HE IS BEHIND YOU! Do you find this situation amusing, Miss Du Couteau?" he asked in a threatning manner, while his face had an expression that would make ice envy it's coldness.

"It is Katarina, but... To answer your question - No." She said, forcing a serious face. I could tell that her mood was somewhat hindered at this point, but I understood the reason perfectly, as did she, I was sure.

"So, Battleborne, this is how you prepare for the upcoming battle? You dissapear, taking away a powerful champion, and instead of pursuing the best of the best, and fighting against them, brushing your skills to brilliance, you waste your precious time in this puny facility? Well, if you are that incompetent, that you need this sort of a preparation, perhaps we should look for a more expertised summoner!" he scolded me, and for some reason, the tone of his voice gave me the chills. Again.

"No, no... Sir... I was getting..." I tried to find an excuse, but he stopped me with a firm wave of his hand.

"ENOUGH! I won't take any of your excuses! I want you to march yourself BACK to Noxus, and take serious preparation steps, before we see the fate of our glory doomed and crumbled... And let me tell you something 'Battle' borne... If a mistake occurs on the fields during the fights, I will KNOW it was your fault! Because I can assure you, NO other summoner is taking this event as lightly as you are! And I would like to warn you, you will be apprehended for betraying the city - state you claim to fight for, in case you prove to be a blockade on our way to victory! Do you understand!" he asked roughly.

I nodded in utter silence, feeling my insides turn at his warning.

"Yes... Yes, Sir. I understood." I said humbly.

"Very well. Now get out of my sight before I turn your brains into food for my pet!" he shouted and waved his hands in the air, as if he was scaring me off.

Without another words or any other signs that would uncover the way I feel right now, I got up and walked out of the cafeteria. I expected him to speak to Katarina too, but then I saw her get up and leave as soon as he sat down. She caught up with me and we went down the road in silence. She seemed to feel unpleasant about the whole happening, but she didn't know how to ask me if I am feeling alright without directly prying into it. Her lips widened into a smile as she had thought of something.

"I suppose it is safe to say that Swain... outleveled us really well back there." she said, probably hoping it would make me cheer up a little.

I looked at her and smiled. I realized she was trying to get through to me. I patted her shoulder, without saying a word, and still, she knew that everything is alright. Our stacking of anger and negative energy directed at Swain had just began. 


	10. The Call Of Battleborne

We were truly in luck. The arcanic - like chamber of the institute that we were sent to proved to be some kind of a propylon chamber system, that allowed individuals that would be granted acces to the chamber, to freely travel between areas. A propylon chamber leading to Noxus was by all means available to Katarina, and therefore, me as well, and soon, we were both back to Noxus itself.

"I love the feeling I get whenever I come back here..." I said as we were going back to the Du Couteau residence.

"Yes... Indeed, it is a beautiful sensation... Perhaps, in this battle, we will expand our territory so much, that we will feel at home wherever we go..." she said with a fading smile on her face.

"Now, now... No need for greed. I would settle for a good piece of Demacia." I said, though I would be even more content if I got to participate in the battle itself otherwise then just being a summoner. For some reason, I wanted to contribute to the clash in a more direct way... Sometimes, you see all those champions head out to lanes and die, and you feel that you as a summoner just won't do enough good... You feel like you would have so much more potential if you were in their shoes, with an iron shortsword in your hands. I believe it could be just an illusion. Champions are at least ten times strong as the regular summoners. Engaging in melee combat against them would be a suicide mission. Soon, we reached our destination. To our surprise the courtyard of the giant mansion appeared to be crowded by guards.

"What in the name of Void is this?" Katarina murmured nervously as she approached the men stationed outside.

The men seemed somewhat relieved to see her.

"Oh, my lady! You still walk this Earth!" one of them exclaimed as he rushed to her. A stern glare from her side made him wish he never doubted her competence to survive in the first place, but made him none less excited about her return.

"My lady, a terrible thing has happened while you were away! There was an attack, led directly to this very manor! Strangely enough, no one was harmed in the process! The attackers were certainly aware of the guards that were hired before, since they planned their strike very well! No one seemed to detect them at first, and when they did, it was too late! It was as if they were coming from everywhere!" he spoke in a shaky voice, that made Katarina scoff. What sort of a guard is allowed to tremble in front of danger, she wondered. Squandering her wealth on protection of this sort was senseless. She had stopped listening to him, after a little while, her senses grasping onto the bare sense of his words. Who would attack this manor? Why would they do it? Why was no one hurt?

"What has become of my sister?" she asked sharply, even though she was well aware of the fact that no one was really in danger.

The guard shook his head, before he dispatched his report:

"Lady Cassiopeia was anxious to learn your location, or the reason of your journeys to areas unknown. As no one was instructed to inform her, she had suspected you may be in danger, yet, she remained at the residence. You should see her."

"Very well, I will do this immediately." she said, while slightly pushing the guard away with her hand. She liked it when people stepped out of her way, and she liked it even more when they wouldn't... Because then she would have to do it.

"My lady, one more matter is left unsaid." the guard felt obliged to stop her, even though the way she moved insisted on travelling uninteruppted.

"Yes, what is it now?" she asked impatiently.

"From what our guards have gathered, the main target of this attack was the guest room of your house. After they had gone away, one of the guards went inside, to see what had happened inside. All he found was a parchment on the bed... Intriguingly enough, it was written in a strange symbol language which none could decipher. Perhaps the contents of this letter, or the origins of the symbols themselves would lead us closer to the attackers." he said.

"The... Guest room? My room?" I felt the need to repeat this, even though I heard it clearly. Katarina looked back at me, not trying to hide signs of worry on her face. She nodded before she headed inside. Trying to impersonate Katarina's forceful charisma, I attempted to push the guard out of my way as well. Unfortunately, the endeavor was bound to fail, causing my so called 'push' to look as if I was patting the guard on the shoulder. My hand couldn't handle the weight of his iron armor. Though at first I was feeling embarrased that I even tried something of this sort, I was surprised to see the guard move back away, as if he was trying to make it look like I pushed him back in the first place. I had more important matters to tend to at present. And establishing an evil allignment among the Du Couteau residence's personell was not one of them. I rushed inside, then upstairs, to meet Katarina halfway, just as she was making her way into the west wing, towards the guest room.

"Maybe they were just thieves..." I tried to reassure her.

"No. Whoever was behind this attack knew exactly what they were aiming for." she was determined to get to the bottom of this.

We came into my room. The furniture was turned over, the curtains were ripped apart, the walls beared cracks made by weapons... A group that pillaged this room did their work well. I remembered what the guard said before, and I came to my bed. Just like he said, a parchment was there. There used to be a wax seal, bearing an unknown symbol, boudning it from curious eyes, but it was broken, and the parchment was now neatly rolled, and ready to read again. Even though I knew it's contents are unknown to us, I chose to open it, and see it anyway. But from the moment the parchment fell unraveled in my hands, and my eyes met the ink the symbols were written with, I felt an enormous load of pain jolt through my head and then downwards. I emitted a demonic roar, as the magnitude of the pain was so large, that I couldn't move. Katarina snapped her head in my direction and quickly came to me. I could no longer see her. I heard a voice speaking to me, as a flurry of white flashes came in front of my eyes. The voice sounded ancient, elderly... But strangely familliar.

"Tanno... The blood of Battleborne beckons to you... Reach to the roots of your existance... Remember the forgotten..."

The voice repeated these words to me, fading away as I closed the parchment and put it away. The white flashes in front of my eyes were no more. The pain vanished, as if it was never there. I stared into the parchment, feeling I was somewhat more alert and aware. Katarina was standing next to me, staring at me. She could easily tell that there was something wrong, but the silence itself from my side warned her not to ask. I felt just like I was coming back to my senses. I dropped the parchment to the floor and sat down onto the bed. Katarina sat down next to me. She was obviously anxious to find out what was it that made me act this way. A stare, revealing a mixture of confusion and worry in her eyes made me blurt out a simple, one word question:

"What?"

"You... You are awfully pale, summoner... Are you... Are you feeling alright?" she asked cautiously.

"I... I am fine." I muttered, more to myself.

"Your face went pallid in a matter of seconds... It is the most unusual reaction I have seen in quite some time... Face white as bone... Eyes black as coal... You certainly do not look well." she repeated her worries as she stood up.

I nodded slightly, but something else took my attention completely... A sound of battle drums, echoing louder and louder caused a frenzy of anxiety and a sudden, almost instictive need to move.

"Did you... Do you hear it?" I asked suddenly.

Katarina looked around and then looked at me with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Hear what?" she couldn't resist the urge to ask.

"The... The drums..." I blurted out as I stumbled across, and then outside of the room. I staggered down the stairs of the residence, barely being able to control the way my feet moved. The drums became louder and louder, and my mind took a map of it's own, leading me outside of the manor, almost dragging me down the road, rendering me unable to resist the movement my instict had intended.

Katarina stared into the empty space her summoner had left behind. Hesitating at first, she grabbed the parchment, and without wasting a second more, she rushed outside to follow her friend. The guard at the entrance told her where Tanno was headed, and she instructed him to infom Cassiopeia that she had returned. Running down the road, she was able to catch a glimpse of Battleborne, as a figure in the distance, walking distortedly into the wilderness, far out of the region that was known to her, or even considered safe.

By the time the drums stopped being so loud, I was able to see around me. A completely unknown, dark, forest - like area surrounded me. The echoing stopped for a little while. As I progressed down the single path, the proof of human life in this area, I still couldn't feel my feet. They were navigating me deeper into the forest, while I was only able to observe the surrounding, which was monotonous. The drums were heard again, although this time they sounded far more real. As I regained the control of my feet, I noticed the ground I was standing differed from the mossy ground I was walking over a little while ago. This one was pure soil, dry, tormented and craked. The ground had a massive, circle tribal engraving over it. The circle's edges beared ancient symbols and figures that made no sense to me at first. As I examined it closer, I started to recognize the signs from the parchment I had seen before. As I stepped into the centre of the circle, I felt the ground beneath me tremble, and the lines carved into the ground started to emmit a strange looking red light. I tried to step back, but my body disobeyed the orders of my mind. I tried to look around, but my head was bound by an unseen force, to look in front of me. The whole circle became red now, and as it did so, it provided enough light in the otherwise dark area for me to be able to percieve figures, perfectly forming a circle, approaching, each of them fitting into the circle. They carried drums, and the sound of the instruments made my blood boil. I couldn't understand what was going on. The red light of the circle vanished, leaving the surrounding somewhat illuminated. Twelve figures stood around me in mathematical precision, each of them fitting into the shape of the circle. The drums went silent. A single man, the one standing right in front of me, walked my way. As he went closer to me, I saw something familiar in him. The way he walked, the muscular figure, a strange symbol he beared on his shoulder, it all looked like I had seen it before.

"You recieved the message." his voice announced calmly.

Just as I was about to unleash a flurry of questions regarding this whole situation, the man motioned his head to look to the far entrance to this area.

"The Sinister Blade." He said loudly, and in a few moments, I was able to see Katarina quickly passing by me and standing next to me. The circle did not seem to afflict her abilities to move at all.

"What... What is this?" she asked, while her eyes glanced over the circle, the men, and the surroundings.

"Your friend led you here for a righteous cause. Worry not, Widow of Noxus. Our clan does not wish evil upon you." the men spoke to her in an extremely calm, almost meditative tone of voice.

"Widow? Clan? It would do well by you, if you made more sense!" she said, still feeling thretened by the whole event.

"All in it's good time, Katarina. The clan of Battleborne greets you. Our tribe was believed to be forcefully exterminated a long time ago. Yet we still live on, dwelling in the wilderness, returning to our glory. The spirits pointed your way, Sinister Blade, as you have found your way to one of our kin. The spirits marked you, and they have destined your arrival to the sacred grounds." he continued.

Katarina did not breathe a word. She gazed into the man's eyes, captivated by a strange aura of energy that seemed to emerge from him.

"Today, the spirits have spoken, and they had granted us their wisdom. I am the mere voice of the ancient spirits, and I bring forth to you their ultimate proposal. The prophecy of Noxus, for the prophecy of our clan." He said.

Katarina was still unable to speak, and so was I.

"The prophecy of Noxus says that when the very jewel of it's force is returned, Demacia shall fall, and bow to it's superiority. The triumph over Demacia will be brought by the only man who brought Noxus to glory, the only man who granted you the will of the blade... No other then your father himself..." The man almost preached, and soon he turned around and gave out an order in a strange language. The circle reformed, bringing out two more men, that walked sideways, each on one side, while in the middle, in the middle... Katarina's lips parted as she stared in front of her... Her father... Her long lost father now stood before her... Real as the ground she had been standing on. She wanted to run to him, but her insticts told her not to. She stood there, motionless, speechless, lost beyond measure, until the man nodded and the two men released the General from their firm grasp.

"Yet, the prophecy of clan Battleborne dictates that each Battleborne will respond the call of the tribe, and reunite here, on these very sacred grounds. The decision is up to you, Sinister Blade. We may grant freedom to your father, in an exchange for the last Battleborne, or he may fall victim to this very sword you see sheathed, if you would refuse to fulfill our prophecy." The man spoke his final words, before stared into the three people in front of him, falling silent, awaiting her decision.


	11. The blood soaked Prophecy

Katarina stood on the sacred grounds for what felt like eternity. The burden of the information she has just been introduced her crushed her under it's weight as she stared blankly in front of her. The choice placed ahead of her was hard, just the way it was easy. Deep inside her heart, she knew she would never put anything before her father, her only guidance, the one person in the world who loved her unconditionally. But a sting of guilt found it's way to her heart. This summoner that stood next to her was the only pool from which she would draw strength to continue the journey that is her life. A summoner... Just like many others out there... No, reuniting with her father was the only goal she strived towards with her whole being. She had sworn an oath to reach this goal. She must endure. She felt as if the whole universe had been focused to her decision. Each breath she drew felt more draining then the last. Making a single step towards the fearsome chieftain, she spoke in a calm, stern voice, trying her best to camouflage the real feelings within.

"I accept the... Trade." she added the last word with disgust, as exchanging one loved one for another was a strain to her soul.

The chieftain smiled. His eyes revealed contentment, as he approached her further.

"You are truly wise." he said.

Katarina knew that it was all over now. She had accepted this pact, this... Trade, this toying with her emotions, and being forced to choose between the few people she actually appreciated. But why would her legs refuse to motion her away now? she wanted to leave desperately. The atmosphere itself was uncomfortable. She wished to be alone now. To descend into her pool of guilt and attempt to reconstruct herself as the same, old, hardy Katarina. Each action she was forced to take, against her will, but still, persuaded to do so, caused a tiny shard of her heart to break off, leaving her soul an inch more desolate. She felt like there was nothing in her heart anymore... As if it was pure Void. Empty and dark. The wave of her depressive thoughts was once more interrupted by the words of the chieftain:

"You may leave now, Sinister Blade. Know that you have aided the clan of Battleborne greatly. Now, leave the Sacred Grounds, bringing forth a new chapter of the Noxian history."

In utter silence, Katarina nodded, glancing over at Tanno. The summoner was taking a rather relaxed, calm stance, her face not showing any emotion. Her stare, focused into a random point in the distance... It was almost as if she was not even present. Perhaps she truly wasn't. Katarina turned her head to the right, to look at her father. In that one second during which they eyes met, she recognized the feeling of pride and gratefulness in his eyes, while he clearly read disbelief and euphoria in hers.

"Father..." she emmitted. There were so many words to say, yet all of them seemed to combine into that one single one, the same one she did not use for such a long time.

The General did not say anything to her. The glint in his eyes said enough, as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, his greatest treasure, his biggest hope, his savior!

It was a beautiful sight nature had to offer. The birds chirped a song of reunition, the crimson sky, under the burning sunset that barely reached the darkness which the tall, thick trees were creating, the calm breeze, capturing the moment which Noxian folk will turn into a legend, a story told to generations to come, the whole area seemed to come to life and acknowledge the joy of a father and a daughter, being brought back together once more.

Both Katarina and Marcus felt the urge to leave this location. As much as they wished to cherish the fact that they are truly reunited, they both wanted to leave. They both turned to go, when a volley of arrows came flying into view. The few men who stood in their path scattered away, breaking the circle that has been formed for the whole time. A few of them had frightened looks on their faces. One of them plucked out the arrow out of the soil. His hand twitched as he dropped the arrow. He picked it up again, to reveal the unique, frost covered tip, with a single engraving of the Freljordian crest.

"Ashe!" Katarina exclaimed as she almost jumped back.  
>The men around her did not understand the meaning of this word. 'Ashe' meant nothing to them, as they did not know of the Frost Archer. But in a matter of seconds, from the surrounding army of trees, what seemed a secluded, almost secret location, became the center of bloodshed. A group of champions emerged from all sides. Tryndamere unleashed a powerful roar as he swung his giant blade in circles, slicing through the tribesman at the far end of the symbol. The rest of them reached for their arms, but soon, their attention was diversed from an assault coming from an entirely different direction, executed by a spear attack, performed with huge speed and precision, stabbing through one man's chest violently, and then, continuing it's bloodthirsty rampage by swooshing over through the air, and carving a deadly cut to another man's throat. Two men were stricken down immediately, as the bloodied spear made a spin in mid - air, mastered by the hands of none other but Xin Zhao himself. A fierce shout emerged from the bare center now:<br>"STAND WITH ME, BROTHERS AND SISTERS! We shall rest when we are dead!"

It was Prince Jarvan Lightshield the Fourth, the Exemplar of Demacia.  
>And with his arrival, a LITERAL shower of armed units stormed ahead, to the very centre of the circle, slaugtering anyone caught off guard. The supporting units of clan Battleborne emerged as well... Armed barbarians rushed into the heat of the battle equipped with axes, staffs, swords and spears...<p>

I was aware of the first signs of the attack, and at the very moment it began, my sword was ready. As I have seen Tryndamere go in first, I stared at Katarina. She returned a glance of surprise and slight fear, but as soon as her hands went for her blades, I knew she was going to be able to fight through... At least, to save her father... I was making my way across the circle, when the real attack began. Seeing a wave of units rushing my way, I panically stepped ahead, to allow my shortsword's edge the pleasure of meeting the wave leaders's guts. With a swift pull up, he sunk to the ground, gripping his ripped intestines. Katarina swung one of her blades, which struck the next one in line with such force that he even flew backwards... The number of attacks was getting larger and harder to evade. Our attacks were soon exchanged for defensive methods.

"We... WE HAVE TO SAVE MARCUS!" I shouted as loud as I could as I was attempting to clear my way to Katarina with my sword.

She shoved one warrior backwards, swinging a blade diagonally with one hand, and just as the man with the cut face was forced to bite the dust, and possibly get trampled to death, her other hand with the blade equipped in it drew a perfectly executed attack at the next target.

"WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST WE DO?" I heard her question through a majority of painful screams and clashing of iron and steel.

I was about to reply, when I felt a stinge pass through my palm. A blade of a heathen has sliced open a cut, rendering the sword I was grasping until that moment useless in battle now. I tumbled sideways just in time to evade a heavy axe attack, but once I jumped onto my feet, I was next to Katarina. With a swift move of my healthy hand, I unbuckled the belt that allowed me to Shunpo and passed it on to her, before we were forced to attempt to step back and possibly avoid the attack of Xin Zhao, who suddenly charged in our direction with a truly Audacious Charge. The blow sent us both flying, each to our own side. The victorious, and somewhat disturbing expression on his face, and his overall stance made us finally realize that the odds are truly against us. Still, we had to salvage whatever we could.

"FATHER!" I heard Katarina's scream.

In a second, I saw Marcus dissapear into the distance, almost crushing over incoming enemy troops that did not expect him to appear in the middle of them, and then soon dissapear again, leaving them in a purple cloud of the well familliar skill.

By the time his retreat was safe and confirmed, Katarina and I were trying to make our way off the Sacred Grounds. The four champions had us cornered, even though they would be distracted by their forces clashing with our so called 'allies'.

"We need to GET OUT OF HERE!" I almost screamed.

"There IS NO WAY OUT!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, as she swung her blade overhead, trying to hit Ashe. The hit intended for her was taken by a warrior standing in front of her.

"You can Shunpo through them!" I hurried her while pulling her back by the shoulder.

"And leave YOU!" she shook my hand off her shoulder and rushed forward to meet Xin Zhao for just a second, before using Shunpo to evade his attack.

"You made your choice!" I growled as an enemy bladesman swung his sword at me. Without any weapons to use for my defense, I met his attack barehanded, forming a fist block, that resulted in my knuckles getting cut by the blade. Before he could have landed a new attack, my bloodied fists formed a hammer and crushed into the top of his head, bringing him down hard. My palms felt like they were burning, but I payed no mind. The fury of battle had a strange effect, making the participants partly immune to pain.

A shaman of clan Battleborne raised his staff...

Xin Zhao's eyes widened, as he rushed towards the shaman.

There was a noticeable opening in the battle line, which would allow an escape route, with good timing.

"Now, NOW! MOVE!" I shouted hysterically as I shoved her forward, toward what I thought would result in safety.

"I... Wait! NO!" she screamed at me, and before either of us knew it, too many things happened in a very short time:

A huge, crystal arrow flew right in between us, and cold shards of ice showered us, stabbing into our faces.

A stray axe, thrown by a barbarian devastated the tree nearby.

A massive sword swung towards us through the air.

A spear made a crescent sweep, throwing what was left of allied forces away from me and Katarina.

The shaman released an accumulated wave of radiating heat from the staff.

Through the taste of blood in my mouth and a blurry vision, I made a final attempt to run, reaching the route to the exit halfway, when the vicious circle of the enemy closed in on me. Before the moment of doom came, I felt the traces of purple dust shower me, and in a second, Katarina was seen sprinting towards the exit. YES! SHE MADE IT! NOW WE WILL -

The following, fierce attack made by a warrior wielding a mighty lance made the ground crumble under force, and it's devastating results could be described in one word: Cataclysm.

I remember the crumbled ground my massacred body had fallen on. I remember my face pressed tightly against its firm, dry texture.  
>I remember the sound of marching footsteps echoing below the ground.<br>I remember the moment where everything ceased to exist...  
> <p>


	12. Before the Last Stand

**(Author's note - This chapter is the direct sequel of the first chapter of this story.)**

My whole body felt like an empty shell of a once strong individual, as the four summoners carried me out of the room in which I have been nursed back to... not precisely health, but rather consciousness.

"What is…Going on?" I was barely able to speak this out without feeling a somewhat tight grasp inside my throat followed with a sharp, numbing pain. As if needles were scratching into its base core. But the party consisted of four summoners refused to answer my questions, or even acknowledge its meaning. They were ordered to get their fifth companion, the one who will lead the Sinister Blade for the Noxian side in a glorious battle. They couldn't start the 'match' without the fifth summoner, and the very fifth summoner happened to be in a critical state. They didn't seem to mind this fact at all. At the far end of the corridor they pulled me through, awaited Swain, the master tactician. Seeing the group of young summoners, he greeted them, bringing their movements to a brief stop. To my utmost surprise, he ordered the group to put me down, which they did, none gently either, if I may add. With a swift movement of his hand, Swain had the four summoners leave towards the arena, leaving just him and me in the vicinity.

"Oh, Battleborne, your constant attempts of hindering MY plans never cease to amaze me. If I may say so myself, I found it fairly amusing to learn that let alone a lowlife of your kind ever thought of being able to even attempt and best me when it comes to skills of strategy. But you were so devoted to your goal that I had no other alternative but to call forth my skills. There are some things you just don't bring into the matters. You will learn this the hard way. I thought finding Marcus would be an impossible task for you to carry out, yet I was wrong. Nevertheless, do not think that you will manage to sabotage my position. As a punishment for your deeds, that were mostly hindering my own plans, and therefore the fate of Noxus, you might think I would disqualify you from this battle. Yet, as I hear, there is not a summoner in all Runeterra that Katarina works with better with then you. Of course, I imagine this would be flattering to you, unless there was this fact that you are… Well, more than unable to carry out the simple task of walking, not to mention advanced movement and a capability of enduring your champion through a fight. Had you listened to me, Tanno, you and I could have been the greatest of allies, as our minds work alike, except mine generates rational and planned ways to reach an objective, while your uncanny instincts pull you face – first into death's glare. And this will happen once more, by my will. You will lead Katarina to this battle. But remember, each mistake YOU make might reflect on HER wellbeing, perhaps even leading to her very death. You wouldn't want to be the one responsible for her death, would you? To make my matters short and simple, placing you into a position of an active summoner in this battle is a huge gamble. It will either lead to a humiliating defeat, or a brilliant victory. Let keeping the life of the Sinister Blade be the motivation for you to accomplish our goal, which is to defeat Demacia. Should you fail in this task… Well, those wounds don't look like they have been even treated properly. Some prefer saying 'you will pay your mistakes with your blood'. I will use this point simply to illustrate your fate, should you fail. Now, please Battleborne, there is a huge audience, anxious for the battle to begin, and your puny existence within this room is the only thing blocking it. Remove yourself from this area, and proceed to the arena, and try to look...Well... Certainly more formidable."

And with that, I was left alone, to make my way to the arena. I never thought walking could be this hard. My feet barely dragged me over the marble terrain that was the large arena's foyer. My eyes met the statues of once famed champions, and portraits of their summoners, who led them to victory, framed in gold. Breathing heavily, I managed to drag myself to the massive doors, leading into the arena itself. As I entered, I already saw the four summoners of Noxus standing, debating, deciding and making battle plans. Swain had already arrived, contributing to this conversation by offering various tactics and motivating them to use the element of surprise to their advantage. As soon as I approached, Swain said something in the manner of 'Now that everyone, even the most incompetent are here, we may begin', but at this point I really couldn't pay mind to respond to his remark, so I proceeded down to the summoning chamber. My eyes didn't serve me well… Yet luckily, I knew the path that led to the chamber almost by heart. As we entered, the circular fountain – like structure reflected purple light. We gathered, all five standing on our intended locations, each of them being marked by a Noxian crest. We stood around the spawning pool, staring down, into the purple light, waiting for the battle to begin. It was time for us to summon champions. I rubbed my swollen, bloodied palms, still marked with fresh cuts. I closed my eyes, visualizing a perfectly formed spectral sphere, as a consequence, coming from the distribution of energy emitted by a radiant source which was a part of my mind, trained to do so. The sphere formed between my palms, first in bright red, matching the color of my palms, but then regressing to it's original, white. The time has come for the purple team to make their pick. One of them was already assigned to lead Swain, so his choice had already been made. The rest of the team took quite a while to determine which champion they will lead. In the end, they have settled for a solo lane Sion, a tank Mundo, followed by Katarina a mid Swain, and lastly, a jungling Warwick.

The enemy side soon revealed a mid Lux, with a tank intended Garen and their main physical damage outburst source, Jarvan siding in one lane, while Xin Zhao was left to solo the other one. Lastly, their jungling pick revealed Shyvanna.

After some time, the match started off, this time with the announcer welcoming us to Summoner's Rift, and scheduling the spawning of minions in a somewhat different, fluttered manner. The jungler along with Swain already took position next to the blue buff. Unfortunately though, the two summoners controlling champions already started a meaningless fight.

"The blue buff goes to me! I am the jungler and it is my duty to pull it!" Warwick's summoner insisted.

"But what would you need the mana for! You will not be fighting the enemy champions until level six anyway! I could use a mana regen boost better then you! You can help me kill it, but you will not take it!" Swain's summoner was trying to make a point, and maybe ensure his champion a steady mana income during the first phase.

As their argument continued during the small time it takes for all the minions to spawn and begin their crusade into doom, I felt a splitting headache starting to consume my energy largely. The pain was truly unbearable, and for a second, I had to close my eyes and grit my teeth, to block out it's massive output. Trying to achieve the balance between my palms, so I can be able to hold the summoning orb above my head, I established a mental link to Katarina's mind.

"_Alright, Kitty Kat, let's get to work…"_ I made her aware of specifically my presence in her mind.

"_Tanno? Is that YOU!" _she retorted in pure disbelief.

"_Who else would it be? Of … Of course it is ... Me. Now come on… Enough… Idle chatter… Time to… Win this battle…" _I took my time saying what is on my mind, aware of the fact that I need to measure my breath carefully, as I was quickly running out of it.

"_You cannot do this! I won't do this! I demand a different summoner! I will NOT have you here!" _she insisted angrily, and that anger perhaps came from the core of the same realm of her being which produced her worry.

"_You don't appear to… have faith in me… I can still work the same way I… Always… Do. Why…Why wouldn't I … Be a good leader…To you? Even if it could be for the… one… One last time… This time…" _I asked, taking another deep breath, so I could be able to talk further, if required.

"_Because, Tanno, from your voice, and from what I have seen when I last encountered you, YOU WERE NEARLY DYING! I want you to get out of here this instance!" _her half angry – half scared voice echoed in my mind. The bare thought of her not being able to rely on me, after everything that I have told her began to anger me as well.

"_My state… has... Nothing to do with yours…. I will not risk the fate of Noxus…I will remain where I am, and… ensure us victory… even if it will be the last deed… I… I will leave behind me! Now… Let us not speak of this matter…. Any further… Proceed to the shop… And… Get… Your starting items…" _I instructed, and I was relieved to see, despite the fact that many summoners would choose her to lead into various clashes, she had still remembered the starting items I preferred to Doran's Ring or Amplification Tome… Or… God forbid… Doran's Blade. She moved on to her lane, following Mundo, while I could still hear Warwick's and Swain's summoner arguing relentlessly about who gets the blue buff. Their dilemma was soon solved by Sion, who unexpectedly made his way towards the buff and patiently waited until only one hit of his axe could bring him the reward. The aforementioned did happen, and soon, Sion's summoner received very loud scolds from both Swain's and Warwick's summoner.

"You fool! I was going to get that buff!"

"Idiot! Now I must cross the lane for red!"

Sion's summoner paid no mind to their insults, as he happily retreated back to his lane, with a bonus that would, perhaps help him to lane against his opponent.

I paid no mind to their petty troubles. I led Katarina to her lane, being careful to make her walk behind Mundo. I knew that anything could hurt her badly, as she was not very well equipped, armor – wise, so having the tank absorb the damage meant for her was a very good idea.

I felt a strange, but still somewhat expected throb in my guts. I could feel my shoulder bleed openly, the wound burning through my awareness, and the blood slowly dripping, being hidden by the robe. The first phase passed fairly well for us. Both Jarvan and Garen are melee units, so both Mundo and Katarina had their knives being leveled up first, for advantage. Suddenly, I had the need to stare at Katarina. Something strange about her in that particular surrounding made me regress. I could feel the blood drip down my arm , but the feeling itself was fading away. The summoning chamber, the rest of the summoners, the walls, the sky, everything went black for a moment, and then, everything returned. Except I was no longer in the arena. The violent atmosphere a battle brought into the air has vanished, to be replaced by a peaceful aura.…

_This place was awfully familiar. I was standing alone, in the middle of the tall grass. The soft, summer breeze caressed my face. The rain began to fall lightly at first, and then in huge gusts of wind. A summer storm. I did not move as the claret liquid slithered down my back soaking the oversized, rugged, leather armor I have been wearing. It was a welcomed quench as the day had been quite hot and unbearable. Even this small refreshing seemed to help. I watched the birds poking in and out of the trees as the Sun fought for its existence. The hill was so small it should have been called a mound, but everyone referred to it as "The hill." _

_I was but a small child, enjoying the tiny, almost unnoticeable wonders of nature. The meadow was still beautiful, showered in little diamonds that were the raindrops. I rushed to pick the most beautiful, blue flower I have ever seen. Its fragile spindle broke over between my fingers as I plucked it out and held it out in my hand. A glimpse of the red petals another flower had to offer completely drew my attention to it, and soon, I held two flowers in my hand. Excitedly, I ran across the soft, clammy field, picking flowers and smiling to each new one I would see. Oh how wonderful it was to run freely across the field... Finally, with a 'bouquet' of wild flowers with an intoxicating aroma, I settled down at the top of 'The Hill'. Right at my feet, beneath me, in the far view ahead, a few wooden shacks could be seen in the distance. Yes... My village... With an ever happy smile on my face, I sighed with content as I threw a glance at it. My home… The rain continued to soak my clothes as I laid back onto the grass, to look at the sky..._

"_Summoner? S—Tanno? BATTLEBORNE! Can you hear me!" _with a jolt, and the spreading coldness through my limbs, I was brought back to the summoning chamber by Katarina's calling voice. I closed my eyes, trying to understand what just happened, but all that my mind was focused on was blood, now seeping down the back of my head as well. The warm, slithering feeling was annoying, but my hands were bound, materializing the orb, and I couldn't pay attention to wounds now.

"_Yes, Kat… I am still here…. What is it?" _I asked, trying to keep my composure.

"_We did well… Both Mundo and I got a kill! That is AMAZING! But… What do you think we should get now?" _She asked.

"_You should have enough gold for a Blasting Wand by now… Do get one… And replenish your health potions." _I instructed her. The items were now stored into her inventory and she moved back into her lane. Even if she was talking before, I wasn't able to hear the words she said. As I saw her passing the tower, I felt my mind drifting off into a half dazed state….

I was standing on the same hill. Except this time, the joy of rain and flowers was washed off. I stared ahead of me, to see the wooden shacks on fire, with people running out, screaming in horror, and making their way away from our village. Before I had a chance to think about what could be going on, I saw the figure of my father approaching in the quick pace.

"Tanno! Ah... There you are... I was worried sick! Come on, we must hurry!" he said as he picked me up into his strong, firm arms.

"Where are we going, father?" I asked with the innocence only a child could muster.

"We are going to a new home..." He did not quite elaborate.

As I looked over his shoulders, I saw the village in flames. A single tear welled up in my eye, as the quick steps of my father carried the catastrophe out of my view...

I remember the stormy night, which brought a lot of wind up. My father, running down the path with me in his arms, and a single sack bearing all of our possessions that once represented a happy, safe place I used to call home. I tried to ask him what happened, even though I could tell that whatever did happen, it couldn't have been good. He did not wish to tell me. He simply told me to remain quiet and that we are going to find a new home. The loss of the old one saddened me, but the thought of getting a new home and meeting new friends still brought a smile to my face, and soon I giggled merrily, in excitement and anticipation. After hours of travelling we reached a magnificent location. A huge manor, which only tales could speak of. It was the luxury that caught my eyes, the glamour and the flawless brilliance of the setting captured me and took my breath away. A man rushed towards my father, to aid him with the baggage, and soon, we were introduced to the widest, most nicely decorated, almost divine marble foyer the eyes of a barbarian could possibly see.

"Sir, Marcus Du Couteau will be joining us shortly. He wanted to show you to your temporary home personally." The man said, before he left us in a quick pace.

We weren't left to wait for long. Soon, another man came down the stairs, and his face shown signs of joy as he came towards my father.

"Jorrund!" Marcus exclaimed eagerly, giving my father a pat on the shoulder.

"Marcus..." my father replied, but the lack of eagerness could be explained by the fact that it was trouble that had driven the poor man to this unexpected reunion.

"My good man, I have heard of your misfortune... I am relieved to see you here... I thought no one made it out of that village alive... You most certainly seem tired... Let me show you to a room where you can rest. I shall tell you of the attack itself before we depart though..." he continued. As they took the conversation to a topic that I was not able to understand, I chose to pay less attention to it...

"_Ta-... Sc- K-...Wha-The-Ar-ight-?"_

A flash of bright white before my eyes brought me back to the present. Katarina's voice, broken into fractions, rendered useless, ruined beyond comprehension... Blood was felt dripping down my chin... I couldn't tell if it was my chin in the first place... I have gone numb... So very numb... I tried my best to focus and tell her words apart.

"_Tanno! You are doing well! Keep going!" _Katarina's praise left me with a poor imitation of a human smile on my face. I am... Doing well... Must... Keep... Going...

"Huarghhhh! Die, Demacian!" Katarina's voice seemed none less fearsome then the way she would have exclaimed it at an older age. I remembered her as a very young woman, dressed in a simple, cloth armor, taking up a gracious stance. Her father had instructed her in the ways of the blade. The blades sang to her. They sang of pain, blood and suffering. The song sounded pleasing to her ears. I was eager to learn the secret of the blade as well. And I could have only learned it by training with her. She swung a wooden sword towards me, and I couldn't dodge it. It hit me right in the face.

"Live is evil spelled backwards, no coincidence!" she cheered as she triumphantly brought the edge of the wooden sword to my neck.

"I will not surrender!"I roared before I launched myself forward, attempting to tackle her. She simply stepped out of the way and allowed me to 'tackle' the ground beneath my feet.

"And now, prepare for death, Demacian!" she said without hiding any joy in her voice. I realized that there is no fighting her back at this point and I peacefully raised my hands over my head, as a prisoner would.

"Your death will be slow and painf-"

"Katarina! Tanno! It is time for dinner... We are only waiting for you! Hurry along, you can always come back for training later!" Marcus's voice, which I became accustomed to came from the manor, and soon, the wooden blades were dropped to the ground, and we were heading towards the dining room area.

"Next time, you get to be a Demacian!" I demanded. She shook her head lightly and smirked.

"I get to be a Demacian when you defeat me in a duel..." she clarified. I had nothing to say to that... We hurried down the path and soon, we joined my father and Marcus as they were heading back to the dining room. On our way there, Cassiopeia walked down the stairs, holding a few dresses, turning them in her hands. When she saw us, her eyebrows arched as she looked at the dresses and then back at us.

"What troubles you, sister?" Katarina asked in a tone which I deciphered to be polite.

"Ah, please, Katarina, what troubles me is far beyond your reach... Should I have a problem sharpening a blade of some sort, I will speak to you, but regarding this matter... I need an actual female." she snorted the last part, chuckling smugly and teasingly, but Katarina paid no mind. She had gotten used to the way Cassiopeia saw her interests regarding combat. Cassiopeia then turned to me, clearly identifying me as an 'actual female'. In all honesty, I was none the less of a tomboy then Katarina was. I felt bad for her when Cassiopeia pointed it out like that, and I wanted to make up for it.

"Say, Tanno, what would I look absolutely best in?" she asked, while still turning the dresses in her hands, showing them off to me.

"A sealed mausoleum." I replied after a brief time. Before I gave her time to throw a tantrum, or even think of a comeback, I hurried down to the dining area, leaving her confused and a little ashamed; while I was absolutely sure I could have heard Katarina giggling...

"_There is going to be a team fight soon... I have to know if I am going to be able to count on you to see me through Tanno!" _her voice broke me out of my trance once again.

"_Have no doubts in me... I will fight for you... I will win for you... And I won't stop... Until we reduce Demacia to a pile of torn limbs..." _I said, to reassure her.

"_Alright then... We should head to the assigned location..." she said._

As I looked over the map, in order to establish the direction we will strike from, I felt my head pound so heard that I thought it would explode. Through a growl, my hands shook, interrupting the orb's manifestation. I managed to bring my palms back together just in time, to keep the orb functioning. It took a lot of effort to endure through this. Through a white – red mist forming before my eyes, I could barely see Katarina progress down the lane, cutting into the enemy territory. She was accompanied by Sion, who was also making his way to the assigned area. The other champions gathered, hurriedly following the pace of the two champions. As expected, the enemy team gathered to support the jungling Shyvana, who was facing two enemies, and was inches from getting into a battle without either an advantage, or chances of survival. The enemy team almost stormed in, and made Sion and Katarina retreat slightly, only for a second, before the reinforcements of their team came in, and the whole force of Noxus was ready to clash with Demacia. Shyvana made an unexpected move, she launched herself into our group, causing a massive distraction. Sion was the first to react, as he bound Shyvana with a cryptic gaze. The rest of the team didn't seem to work coordinately, so Shyvana was able to make a semi – safe retreat back into her line, among the rest of their team. And suddenly, Warwick came running towards the enemies. He launched himself off the ground, suppressing Shyvana once more. And that was the trigger that started the fight. The ultimate fury of battle unleashed.


	13. The Last Stand

The enemy team was really quick to react, in order to protect Shyvana. The fact that they could lose her for some time was not pleasing to them, and that is why they made a hot – headed decision. They wanted to protect their team – mate, and then safely retreat back to their base, heal their wounds and charge back in with full might. But the Noxian team was trained to execute targets mercilessly, without offering them a second chance or retribution. Our tank, Mundo, emerged in front of our team, as he sensed that the enemy team was about to charge in, and oh, how right he was. Their Jarvan launched his ulti as a counter – attack, and to protect Shyvana from being killed. Warwick's sharp claws devastated the Dragon warrior, but he soon became fatigued, and was unable to finish her off completely. As his summoner was just about to ignite the retreating dragon, Lux emerged, restraining Warwick instantly, and allowing Shyvana to evade the deadly spell. With the last atoms of her strength, Shyvana, in her glorified dragon form was trying to claw her way out of the fighting area, leaving behind trails of blood, flames and charred ground. Jarvan's ulti was launched for the sole purpose of stopping us from reaching Shyvana, and of course, so they could retreat further from the Noxian forces. Once the dazing effects of the ability were worn off, the Demacian team was at a real disadvantage, but luckily, also at a distance. They now had four champions to counter our five. Still, they thought, it could have been worse: Shyvana could have been killed. This way, at least she is going to come back soon. But would that 'soon' really be soon enough for Demacia to be able to endure and repel the Noxian attack?

Swain was keeping a healthy distance from the heat of the battle. He wanted to observe the situation and then strategically take them out, leaving them no alternative but surrendering. Still, he knew he must contribute to the battle somehow. We had a perfect opportunity at hand. Four champions, one less ulti to worry about, one CC that can be evaded, and the other one easily being baited out. But this will not happen again. This is the only chance we have now. It is now or never... If Shyvana comes back, they might get encouraged to execute an attack and perhaps tip the scales to their side. I must influence the rest of the team to take action now, and put an end to this, as soon as possible. I had no strength to speak out. The mere action that consisted of holding the summoning orb above my head was draining and exhausting enough as it is. I had to let them know it is time... I did not know how. A mixture of pain and anxiety suddenly busted through my being...

I saw Swain. Not on the lane, not in this time... Not in this dimension... I saw him walking to Marcus Du Couteau, while a girl in an oversized leather armor was standing by the other man's side.

_"Jorrund!" Marcus exclaimed._

_"Marcus..." my father replied._

_"My good man..."_

Oh my God... This... This cannot be... It's...I... I knew him before! This... No... It is not possible! What is going on with me? Am I insane? I must be hallucinating...

_I remember sitting on my bedroll, anxiously tapping my hand over the floor, waiting for my father to return from the hunt._

"_Now, now, Tanno..." ,Said my mother, "impatience makes our spirits hungry as well. When your father comes back, I am sure he shall bring with him enough food to host a feast."_

_I kept my eyes on the door, barely being able to wait for the moment of his return._

_The door opened, and a younger man, entered the room equipped with nothing but a sturdy, wooden crotch, which he used to support himself while walking. A little birdie was attached to him, almost as if it was nailed to his shoulder, fixating everything with a cold, deadly stare of a predator. Following him entered my father, dragging a dead deer behind him..._

He was... He was at my house? He... He knew who I am when I was a child? But... Why don't I... Why don't I remember it! And... And why does he hate me, then! My mind couldn't process so many questions at the same time...

"_Who is that strange man that sits outside of your house all day?" a boy asked._

"_My father brought him. He calls him Swain. He never says a word." I replied. _

"_We should tell the chieftain... What if he is evil?"_

"_My father wouldn't have brought him home without a good reason." _

"_I don't like him."_

_..._

_The chieftain's voice broke through the house:_

"_TRAITOR! You bring in spies that bathe you in gold so you can give them information in return! You will be punished severely for this, Jorrund! Be sure of that! What were you thinking, bringing strangers to our isolated community? You think you are a saint, don't you? Men! Capture this dog!" _

_My father went pale._

"_No, no, Arngeir, he is not an intruder! He was a stray solider from the Noxian force... At least he introduced himself in that manner! Trust me! He means no harm!" he tried to justify his acts._

"_I do not care for excuses! Kill the intruder! NOW!" the chieftain roared, and a group of savages began ransacking the cottage._

_I remember I jumped out, through the window, and ran across the road, the fear and the warm, _

_steppe – like ground burning my feet. I ran past the man with a crotch, and it was his stern, calm facial expression that made me stop dead in my tracks. Was he not aware of the horror? Or did he not care? His serene voice broke my dilemma:_

"_If you come with me, I will give you a sword. Perhaps, with my guidance, you can save your family."_

"_I am scared..."_

"_There is no need to fear. I know the way. I also know a magic word that will dispel the fear from you." he said calmly, without twitching a muscle on his face._

_Being a child I was, easily impressed, with a rich imagination, I really did believe in magical words and that every individual could use magic. Something in his voice made me refuse to keep running, and just stand next to him, as if the time stopped, and listen to what he has to say._

"_The word is 'satanama'." ,he said, "Sa – ta – na – ma. Whenever fear strikes, say this word, and it shall vanish."_

_A part of me still couldn't comprehend the reason he is so calm. But the other part of me wished to aid my family in such a desperate way that any proposed solution would seem like the best. I was pronouncing the word to myself, when I saw three men rush out and point at Swain_

"_There he is! Kill the intruder!" one of them shouted, and soon, the three were sprinting towards us, cursing and waving their weapons threateningly. He never moved. As if he expected them. _

_My throat got dry and tight from the fear. My eyes widened, capturing the sight of pure terror approaching. No, this will never work._

_Before I would listen to reason, or be persuaded into staying with the man, I bolted further across the field, leaving him alone, to face his destiny without my aid. No words could soothe me, or affect my instinctive need to run from danger. I ran down the field, until I reached a barn. Not thinking for one second, I leaped forward, burying myself into a stack of hay that was in sight. With my heart pounding like it was going to jump out of my chest, breathing heavily, I could almost swear I heard his voice:_

"_Coward." _

_Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me..._

"Damn it, we are running out of time! She could be back any second! The time to strike is now!" Warwick's summoner insisted loudly, breaking me once more from my trance, and reverting me back to the real world.

"No, we must have the absolute support of our team! We must plan our approach wisely!" Swain's summoner replied. Obviously the champion affected his way of fighting.

"People! People! We are losing the sight of what is important here! We could all charge in now, while they are weakened!" Sion's summoner was anxious for the battle to begin.

"I am ready for anything, just say the word..." Mundo's summoner was indifferent. His role was demanding from him to be prepared to face danger.

I had to do something... I had to let Swain know it is time... Not Swain's summoner... Swain himself. I took a few seconds to breathe deeply. I knew each second is precious, and therefore I should not waste too many. I gathered all of my focus and strength. I balanced my summoning orb in one hand, and reached into Swain summoner's orb with my other hand. The only way you can establish communication with a different champion is to bond yourself with their orb. Swain's summoner gave me a half scared – half angry glare, but I paid no mind. There is no time for trivialities now, this must be over quickly. I could feel blood forming beneath my boots, slithering down my back, soaking my robe. I am running out of time. I managed to establish a temporal link to Swain's mind.

"_SWAIN! SATANAMA!" I used the largest portion of my energy to make him aware of my words._

"_Wha- Who is this?"_

"_Sa... Ta... Na... Ma..." I barely had enough strength to repeat._

Silence.

He must have understood.

I don't know.

I don't care.

There is no more time.

I pulled my hand out of the orb, and it limped sideways, before I took a new portion of strength to raise it, and return it to my own orb. I feel like I am going to faint... I have to make sure this goes well... I had no time or energy to issue orders, or to familiarize Katarina with my plan.

I saw I had flash available.

Swain launched his snare into the majority of the team. The moment of distraction. He understood what I meant. Mundo launched himself forward, to absorb Lux's stun intended to hit Swain. Garen attacked Mundo, using Decisive strike. Perfect, they are all focused on Mundo now... Katarina was standing way in the back. No one could reach her. Now is the time. Calling out my flash ability to work, I felt a strong, semi – lethal burst of pain inside of my head. I stammered, gripping the summoning orb firmly with my hands. I will not give in... I can't afford it now! As I saw the familiar technique unraveling in front of me, my mind was overloaded with memories of it's history...

"_We are in a 3 vs 5! We can never win! They are too damn strong!" a summoner complained as he guided Ashe to the entrance of our base._

"_I have a plan.", I said, "We can win this. All I need is a moment of distraction."_

"_What the hell are you talking about!" the summoner was agitated, perhaps because of the fact that the enemy champions were gathering under the very last turret that protected the entrance. _

"_All I need you to do is to launch her ulti and keep them all in one place..."_

"_That is ridiculous! I will just waste it!"_

"_We are going to lose if they get to the first inhibitor! It's now or never! I have a plan... I know it will work!" _

"_NO! I am NOT wasting my ulti now!" _

"_When are you going to launch it? When they breach into the Nexus area? Huh! JUST DO IT!"_

"_Guys they are destroying the turret!" Master Yi's summoner shouted._

"_I am not a fool, and I will not risk a secure chance to win for some dumb assed plan of y-"_

"_YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! They are already here! Come on!" I pleaded._

"_Argh... To hell with everything... If we lose... I swear to God I will-"_

"_TRUST ME! Ashe won't get hurt! I will do everything! I just need that single moment of distraction!" _

"_Fine... Fine... Here goes nothing..." the summoner said, a moment before a giant crystal arrow emerged from Ashe's bow, flying in blinding speed._

_..._

_I remembered countless hours I spent calculating..._

_..._

"_That is amount of 30 in Magic Resistance... No upgrades... If I flash in and Shunpo forward, to the weakest target, they will be confused. They won't have time to react. If I launch the Death Lotus nearest to the weakest target, the other two are bound to absorb damage as well... Let's see... Two Blasting Wands... Then one Needlesly Large Rod, to double the count... _

_THEN the complete Rabadon... _

_Cooldown boots, cooldown boots! I must remember those! _

_Then... Then... _

_What then... _

_I need something to deal with the higher Magic Resistance counts... _

_Void Staff... _

_No, Rylai has to come in first... For the slowing effect and health bonus... That's right... _

_I need more Ability power... I need more! Where can I find more? _

_Why am I limited to six items only? _

_Yes! I've got it! A steady income of Elixirs of Brilliance! _

_I have to get Magic Penetration... _

_Spellvamp! I need spellvamp! _

_More AP! _

_Think... Think! _

_The Void Staff is a must... _

_Banshee's Veil perhaps, for defense? _

_No... No... That is preposterous..._

_No room for defense here... _

_Offense is my best defense... _

_Forget the darn Veil... _

_Get a Hextech gunblade in there! _

_..._

"_What now?" Ashe's summoner asked panically._

"_Now leave it to me!" I said victoriously. I was more certain then ever. I knew the odds are in my favor. My calculation never lies. I just felt it. It was a huge gamble in their eyes, but it was a certain win in mine._

_..._

"_Assuming she found a target, her Shunpo would now drain 700 health points from a low Magic Resistance victim... And then the ulti... Oh the ulti! At least 500 more... Times three... It strikes three champions at once...Bouncing Blade to slow any retreating enemies... Then Shunpo to them, and then to the next target, and then to the next... Ha ha! This is... This is INSANE!" I mumbled to myself as I scribbled down the numbers, to check them again._

"_Yes! I found it! Perfect! 625 Ability Power in total... I must see if it will work..."_

_... _

_As they were all stunned in one place, I used Flash, prolonging it with a Shunpo to the weakest target, Varus. I unleashed the lotus. _

_..._

"_This is a remarkable discovery... This is powerful... It is... Undefeatable! How come no one thought of this before?" I said as I looked over my notes, writing down the final details related to the build._

_..._

"_Oh MY GOD! You... You DID IT! You saved us! It was an amazing QUADRA! HOW!" Ashe's summoner stared at me in pure disbelief, trembling in euphoria, while shaking my arm. _

_I said nothing. A barely visible smile forming in the corner of my lips was enough for me to display satisfaction. The plan has worked once more... It is an unbeatable tactic, I tell you... It's mind blowing... It never fails! _

_..._

"What are you doing!" Sion's summoner shouted at me.

"Don't rush, you will get us all killed!" Warwick's summoner joined.

"Back! GO BACK! I am the tank! Battleborne, GO BACK! RETREAT you damn fool, are you insane!" Mundo's summoner was almost jumping out of his skin.

I can't listen to them... I KNOW it will work! It always worked! This is it... Just to wait for my Killer Insticts to be available... Come on... Come on, faster... Three... Two... One... Now... NOW!

Katarina made an unexpected leap forward, and then, in a split second, she was already behind Lux. Before anyone had time to do anything, the Death Lotus exploded in all of it's might, melting, simply devastating the three champions nearby. Lux did not stand a chance. She went down instantly.

I felt my arms were starting to shake, losing it's grip on the orb... No... I can't stop now! I must endure!

"What for the sake of-" Sion's summoner barely uttered as he watched the action unfold before his eyes.

I felt an urge to close my eyes... I must... Stay... Present... The power of will is stronger then pain... The power of will is stronger... Then... Pain...

Garen and Jarvan, heavily damaged, were already retreating. Sion's summoner came back to his senses, his champion was quickly stunning the retreating figure of Jarvan. I knew it would happen, I was focused on Xin Zhao. As another second passed, the Shunpo executed on him drained the life out of his very being, leaving him unable to fight back upon witnessing the might of the Sinister Blade. With a swift Bouncing Blade, he collapsed, dropping his spear. Swain was going after Garen... Mundo slowed him with... Sion and Warwick didn't let Jarvan even think of retreating...

I can't keep my eyes open anymore... I could feel blood dripping down my chin now, as well. My palms are numb... My face is drenched in blood and cold sweat... My knees are trembling... I have to... I have to ensure the victory... I... I...

...

The summoners in purple robes cheered wildly, running outside, to the fields, to meet their champions for a victorious march towards the destroyed enemy's Nexus. The champions, bloodied, exhausted from constant fears of losing and the wounds from clashes they took part in, dropped their weapons, and rushed back, to meet the ones who made sure this moment would be poured into reality. Champions and summoners cheering, greeting each other with victorious, proud smiles of accomplishment, some, like Warwick's summoner, leaping to hug their champion, screaming nonsense and almost shooting out of their shoes from joy. Euphoric, proud and accomplished feelings filled the atmosphere on the purple side, while humiliation, grief and anger out of being helpless dominated the blue side. Their champions left the fields, leaving the purple team to enjoy the spoils of victory. Sion's summoner proudly waved Lux's wand he had collected, and decided to save it as a souvenir. All of the champions agreed to go to the Blue Team's territory, into their ravaged base, and to celebrate this glorious day that Noxus will remember and put into legends. Before their eyes, as the seconds passed, they were being made into the finest heroes of Runeterra. The champions took the walk of pride and victory, marching down the mid lane, cheering and singing songs of victory, all, but one.

Katarina Du Couteau stood motionless, right where she launched her last attack, the glorious attack that history will remember as one of the most bold, flawlessly executed moves. Her eyes were fixated on the Purple Nexus, the entrance to the summoning chamber. A wave of grief engulfed her as the thought of facing Garen in battle emerged into her consciousness. But it was for Noxus. Noxus must be placed before everything... Before love, before dreams, before wishes, and even before one's life. Swain's summoner, accompanied by the champion passed Katarina by, calling out to her, to join the march and the celebration of the victory. Her feet obeyed, guiding her towards the Blue Nexus, but her mind was a million miles away, wondering, assuming the worst, fearing of it's revelation... With a sting of guilt, that she learned to overcome after so many attempts, she forced herself to be present, and celebrate with her people. She was sure her father is proud of her, and Cassiopeia, even maybe envious, but still proud, since she would be able to snatch away some credit from her deeds.

And so, she joined the cheerful party of champions and summoners, in triumph, a celebration of victory and praises of each one's action. None of them paid no mind however, to the fact that the fifth summoner was not joining them, for the very fifth summoner was left behind to keel over and embrace the cold, stone floor of the summoning chamber, bathed in fresh blood gushing out of wounds, pouring out and forming a puddle, clutching a handle of the sheathed sword in one hand, and a small notebook in the other one...


	14. Author's chapter

**Author's comment:**

I'm not sure if I am allowed to post my notes on this story as a chapter, but, it would be kind of stupid to post it as a review, so I did it anyway. I thought that my notes interfering with the storyline would break the story apart, and therefore cause confusion and irritation.

Okay, so we can consider this story completed... For now. The particular reason as to why I didn't throw in as much of Garen x Katarina is simple: I am planning to make this story into a trilogy, but those are just some sketches for now. I left an open ending, so I can continue it into a second part if I feel like it. It's okay if it's left as a single story as well, but in my opinion, the obvious lack of Garen and Katarina bonding is very irritating, so maybe, considering the overall quality, it would behoove the story to have a sequel that would be focused more to our original pairing intention.

As for the future of this story, I had a crazy idea. For some reason, I am tempted to relate to the story named "The road to the Infinatie Cup" (I think it is the title, if not, apologies to the author) as it strikes as a very good idea, even though it is poorly executed. I am having a dilemma between reviving that story, or pursuing a whole new take which was my original plan. For some reason, I had in mind a full scale champion riot against the League, in order to shun the whole "Matches to resolve issues" policy, and restore Runeterra into a unique entity where each city – state imposes their own brand of laws and settles the disputes between themselves. Unfortunately, I am not entirely sticking to the lores here, because some parts contradict themselves and some I just can't relate to my story, so I change minor or major details, in order to fit it to my needs. I try to stick to it as much as I can, though, but that is the magic of both fanfiction and writing: Anything can happen as long as you can realistically put it in front of the reader.

So, with that in mind, I can say I am not particularly proud of sticking out of the lore completely in some parts, but let's face it, it's fanfiction, and plus, it's not like I brought in flying pigs and talking rainbows into it.

Anyway, on to my idea. I'm not sure if I'm right about the League's purpose, but if I was planning to make a sequel it would be converted into that idea, and then, I would have access to a vast majority of champions, their interactions, and then them, trying to overcome their differences and disputes in order to force out the purpose of the League and "Free Runeterra". That would be interesting both to write, and it would be a great test to see if I can successfully present other champions to the readers. Of course, it could turn out to be a complete and utter failure, which is exactly why I am still considering it. The sequel of the sequel (a bit confusing, isn't it? ) would feature the League of Legends champions standing united against Heroes Of Newerth, which would be entertaining for me to write as well, since LoL and HoN are 'rivals'. To put it into an event, and to see it unfold would certainly be interesting, and probably worth pursuing, but then again, it could be a major flop on the whole thing and turn out to be disastrous.

I'm just telling you what's floating around my caffeine infused mind, there's a big chance of none of this ever happening, but still, maybe it would be a good idea, so since I am not really sure, I'm posting this hoping I'd get some opinions on the whole matter. Needless to say, of course, both positive and negative comments are appreciated, though, I must point out that the negative ones should be related to the story, not the author, but again, maybe that's implied. I got no idea.

Not to drag this off, I hope you enjoyed the story, and I want to thank you all for the reviews and for following the story through. The ending might seem a little rushed and desolate compared to the whole building up, maybe it had an unexpected escalation, or an escalation that was weaker then the one expected, but the way it is is the way it is (I lost myself at the second 'is' ).

I'll post a couple of miscellaneous things below, just for fun. Feel free not to read it if you're already bored by now or you're plainly not interested

(which is pretty much the same thing, because... if something is not considered interesting, we can automatically assume it's the opposite... Okay, time for Cpt. Obvious to call it a night... )

Misc:

If you google 'Fallout New Vegas Missions' and enter the Wikipedia source, you will find that some of the titles match with the titles of the chapters. Now, before you rush and accuse me of not being creative enough to create my own titles, I should explain why. For the ones who played Fallout 'New Vegas', they will already know that they are playing a role of a custom created player, often reffered to as 'The Courier'. The symbolic here should point out, in both cases, that not only already existing characters can make a great addition to a fanfic, but, in fact, custom made characters can make a heck of a plot, when added to the existing combination of the regular ones. But then again, if you google 'Google Gravity' and select the first option, you're in for a funny treat that could amuse you more then the previous suggestion of mine.

If I could ever choose a 'Theme of Battleborne' it would definitely be this refined form of the League of Legends cover done on a violin (which is, by the way amazing, if I may add, Kudos to the performer! ). Thumbs up for the song, which you can find on youtube if you type in 'League of Legends Theme Song (Violins) - Taylor Davis'

(the reason I am making this complicated for all of you who may be interested is because I'm not sure if I can post links that direct you out of this site, and I'm too lazy to check it right now)

Of course, needless to say, all credit goes to the aforementioned Taylor Davis, and to her, assuming that is her real name (though in my, paranoid world of paranoia it could include an endless pool of opportunities that imply otherwise, but that's a story for another day ) I'd like to offer my compliments for a job exceptionally well done.

Other songs that often inspired me to write/finish/start a chapter was a track called 'Songs of the Archangels and Mighty Kings' (or at least I think that's what it's called. All I remember are the dragons and some other crap in the background of the video.)

I think that's about it. Cheers to all of you who followed me through, and once again, thank you for your feedback

Till next time

Tanno


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